Hi Karen -

They may have an impact. It's tough to gauge on the aging aspect, however it sounds like you would need to be more diligent in cleaning the filters often. A water softener would decrease the cleaning requirements.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Laura -

Yes, this friend/family member would need to forward it on for you.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Robert -

The fluoride filters use alumina oxide. The difference between aluminum and alumina from the FAQ is as follows:

"The media used to extract the fluoride and arsenic is activated alumina. Since fluoride is a by-product of aluminum production, fluoride has a natural affinity to recombine with activated alumina making it an ideal extraction media. We are not chemists but will communicate our understanding on the subject. Both nutritionist and lab technicians have informed us that aluminum and alumina are two separate animals. Aluminum can cross the blood brain barrier and cause problems with the brain whereas alumina is inert. It is our understanding that alumina is oxidized aluminum. Aluminum is regulated whereas alumina is not for example, alumina is the material used for making the paste in toothpaste. At any rate, when testing for aluminum in water, most tests cannot distinguish between aluminum ions and oxidized alumina. Since we are not chemists, we tested the effluent from the filters and included that information in our brochure. While we were not required to do so, we felt that it was important to disclose to our customers what our results were so that they would have the necessary information to do further research on the issue should they desire to do so. We think it was significant in the test we conducted using the combination of Black Berkey elements and PF-2 elements there was a net reduction in the tested aluminum content of the source water vs. the purified water. Again that test did not distinguish between aluminum and alumina. The bottom line is that the media utilized is oxidized alumina and not aluminum."

Thanks
Dan

Hi Jessica -

No, there is no soy, corn, or food products in the filters.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Tia -

The black berkey filters do not add anything to the filtered water, and they only use safe and natural ingredients to remove the chemicals and contaminants. This situation could be compared to google's search engine algorithm. One of the reasons google has been so successful over the years, is that their search algorithm (their bread and butter) is considered much more advanced and precise in it's results; better than competitors like Bing, Yahoo, etc. This search algorithm is patented and considered one the of the best kept secrets on the web, even though many are always trying to crack and reverse engineer the code.

The berkey is similar in that, if the proprietary formula was to ever be released, then any competitor could easily replicate the berkey business model and the company would lose it's competitive advantage. Propur is a good example of this. This company is an ex-Berkey dealer who has attempted to copy the entire berkey business model. They even advertise and partnered with the same radio shows as Berkey. Check them out. Even the naming is similar. While they have had some affect on the Berkey business, the only reason they have not been successful is because they lack the most critical piece...the filter formula itself. Thus, they can not replicate the same high quality filtration results, and at the end of the day, that's what customers are really looking for.

Since the berkey filters are considered by many to be the best and highest of quality of filters in the gravity filtration market, the company would not want to put this at any risk of loss. CA would require that the formula be provided to them, and the company does not feel comfortable putting this highly valuable intellectual property in the hands of government bureaucrats. Once it leaves Berkey's hands, it would be impossible to control any potential leaks to competitors, unscrupulous business man, etc.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Jessica -

Yes, the formula is proprietary. Here's a good definition:

"Proprietary is for the sole knowledge of its owners, and is normally not available outside the business. The proprietary information critical for business success includes company financials, tax compliance, client financials, customer lists, and pricing information, as well as trade secrets, such as R&D, formulas, and software programs. While it may be illegal for an unauthorized individual or entity to access or usurp the information, the burden remains on the owner to protect the property from theft. The extent of criminal culpability is often directly linked to evidence that the owners made serious and sustained efforts to secure the information from outside interference."

So, to put this in perspective, the company would need to provide CA with this proprietary formula. Then if the formula ever got into the hands of competition, new start-ups, etc who were attempting to use the formula, it would be up to the company to determine this, and then pursue legal avenues to address. Over the past few years, there has already been companies trying to steal the Berkey business model, and legal action was required as a result.

Bottom Line: They look at this CA law as pandoras box for their most valuable asset (the black berkeys), hence the refusal to comply.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Aaron -

There are 2 hangups. One is the high cost the state requires for certification. The second is that the company would need to turn over their proprietary black berkey formula to the state. Since the value and success of the company lies in keeping these ingredients secret, providing this the state with this information is a risk they are not willing to take. The testing shows removal of lead and heavy metals, and lead is not in the any of the berkey products.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Paul -

There are 2 hangups. One is the high cost the state requires for certification. The second is that the company would need to turn over their proprietary black berkey formula to the state. Since the value and success of the company lies in keeping these ingredients secret, providing this the state with this information is a risk they are not willing to take. The testing shows removal of lead and heavy metals, and lead is not in the any of the berkey products.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Eunicev -

No, there are no stores in Reno. Most of our sales are done over the internet.

Thanks
Dan

We agree Paul. Unfortunately we cannot change the designation for one state.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Ben -

No, unfortunately not at this time. You would need to send this system to a friend or relative outside of the state and have them forward it in.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Jane -

Yes, this is permissible.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Josh -

Yes, algae can grow in the berkey light if they are exposed to constant sunlight, and not cleaned often. When this does happen, it's typically the upper chamber, not the lower purified chamber. In your case though, we would lean towards the stainless system.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Den -

No, we cannot speak to other companies and their stainless steel, only the products that Berkey manufacturers.

Thanks
Dan

Hi JJ -

No, there is not lead in these filters/systems whatsoever, and they are shown to actually remove lead from the water. The issue is not about being able to meet the regulations, but rather the burden of costs put on the company to prove this in CA. This article speaks to the original law and should help provide some clarity:

https://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/blog/berkey/berkey-water-filters-cannot-be-shipped-to-california

Thanks
Dan

Hi Kathy -

Yes, you are correct, it is due to the high licensing fees the state charges.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Doreen -

Yes it can, and details on the law can be found in the first link in this article.

Thanks
Dan