Water filter emergency kit: how to make your water supply safe

Why a water filter emergency kit?

The government advises households to prepare for at least three days of emergencies such as power cuts, flooding or contamination of the drinking water supply. Water is the most critical item here. A major advantage of a gravity filter over bottled water alone is that you do not have to keep giving up endless storage space for your supply. You simply filter tap water, rainwater or surface water that you have collected safely.

What belongs in a water filter emergency kit?

A complete emergency kit consists of a few fixed components that you can put together yourself. The basis is a water filter that works by gravity. This system needs no power and works entirely mechanically. You pour the water into the upper tank and it filters by itself into the lower tank.

Besides the water filter itself, you need extra filter elements. In an emergency the filter capacity can run out quickly, especially if you also want to boil water or use it for more purposes. Always keep at least one set of spare filter elements. For specific contaminants such as fluoride or arsenic you can add supplementary elements. In emergencies we advise using these.

A maintenance and cleaning kit is indispensable. After longer storage or when using cloudy water, you need to clean the element regularly. A special filter brush or scouring sponge will keep your element's service life at its maximum. Having small spare parts on hand as well means you can always carry on.

Finally, you need clean ways of collecting the water. Glass drinking bottles or a carafe are ideal for storing the filtered water straight away. Avoid plastic bottles that have been standing in the cupboard for a long time, because these can, among other things, dry out or absorb odours.

How do you put the emergency kit together?

Choose a system that suits the size of your household. For one or two people a compact model is enough. For families, choose a larger version. Do you have a Black Berkey system? Then BOROUX is the successor with exactly the same filter formula. Alternatievemiddelen.nl is the only dealer in Europe for this brand name. The switch is seamless and the performance stays the same.

If you previously had a ProOne system or a British Berkefeld filter at home, be aware that these brands have ended their dealer activities. The existing systems simply carry on running on the very powerful Coldstream FTO PLUS element. This element comes from an English factory and is the standard replacement for both brands. Of course, we supply this element too.

Maintenance and storage

Store your emergency kit in a cool, dry place. Check every year whether the rubber seals are still supple and whether the filter elements are undamaged. A Berkey or BOROUX element that has not been used for a longer time is best reactivated (primed) before you put it into use. The priming button (brown rubber ring), PrimeRite (blue spout), the manual primer or the automatic primer will help you with this. For more explanation about working with a gravity filter, we refer you to how does a gravity filter work.

Test reports and performance

Independent test reports show that the ceramic and carbon elements in these systems significantly reduce, among other things, heavy metals, pesticides, bacteria, medicine residues, microplastics, viruses and PFAS (from 90 to 99.9%). The exact percentages vary per substance and element type. Always consult the manufacturer's current certificates for the specific measurement results.

In short. A water filter emergency kit consists of a gravity filter, spare elements, a cleaning kit and ways of collecting water. It works without power, saves space compared with a stock of bottles and can be used straight away in a power cut or contamination. Check your supplies every year and keep the components dry.