Do Berkey Filters Change Your pH Level?
(and how to improve your Alkalinity)
Depending on the type of water you use, the pH of the water may change after filtering water with a Berkey. The pH level may increase after Berkey filtration due to the Black Berkey Element and the filtration process.
The Filtration Process
When water goes through the filtration process in a Berkey System, the Black Berkey filters reduces over 200 contaminants that may be found in tap water. As a result, the Berkey water has fewer contaminants, which can result in a slight change of the alkalinity of water. The Berkey process typically causes pH levels to rise 0.5 - 1.0, making it more alkaline.
What is pH?
pH is a term in chemistry that is used to determine how acidic or alkaline a solution is, including water. The pH scale goes from zero to 14 with higher level solutions considered alkaline and lower level solutions considered acidic. Any solution with a pH below seven is acidic and any solution with a pH above seven is alkaline. Solutions which measure in the middle of the scale are considered neutral.
If you’re drinking plain water, the pH level is neutral at seven. The EPA recommends that potable water should have a pH level within the safe range of 6.5 to 8.5. However, the pH of water is not regulated, which is more of a reason why you should filter your water
What is Alkaline Water?
Alkaline water is slightly more "sweet" than plain water. In other words, it has a higher pH. While plain water has a neutral pH of seven, alkaline drinking water has a pH between eight and nine.
The data is mixed on the health benefits of alkaline water, but several studies have found that it helps with acid reflux, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. More research is still needed to support the benefits, but when it comes to filtering normal water, more alkalinity isn’t a bad thing.
As noted previously, pollutants can increase the acidity in the water and if you use a filter like the Black Berkey filter to improve your drinking water, it will filter out those contaminants and raise the alkalinity.
How to Increase the Alkalinity of Water
The best way to increase the alkalinity of your water is to raise the pH level. The higher the pH level, the higher the alkalinity. To do this, here’s a good process to follow.
All Berkey systems use Black Berkey filters, which will take out the unwanted, acidic substances that decrease water pH, thus increasing pH by 0.5 to 1.0. By doing this, it also serves as an alkaline water filter by increasing alkalinity.
2. Test the pH Level of your WaterThis can be done using a pH tester, most use pH test strips, which you can find online or at pool stores. Most kits include a scale to refer to to determine what pH level your solution is.
3. Add Alkaline Enhancing ElementsIf the water pH level still isn’t high enough, add other basic products that increase alkalinity such as baking soda, fresh lemons or alkaline drops as directed. For the baking soda, you only need a small amount (½ teaspoon per one gallon of water) stirred into t