Is the Big Berkey Gravity System NSF certified, and does it remove lead or PFAS?

We found no accredited NSF, WQA, or IAPMO certification for it in the public databases as of 2026-06-05 - its contaminant claims are "tested to" lab results, so we award no certification credit. It is marketed for lead; we found no accredited lead certification as of 2026-06-05. It is marketed for PFAS; we found no accredited PFAS certification as of 2026-06-05.

Is the Big Berkey NSF certified?

We found no NSF, WQA, or IAPMO certification listing for Berkey as of 2026-06-05; its contaminant claims come from manufacturer-commissioned lab testing rather than an independent certification body.

Why has Berkey availability been disrupted?

In December 2022 and again in May 2023 the EPA issued FIFRA stop sale, use or removal orders covering Black Berkey filters and the Berkey systems sold with them, saying it had reason to believe they were unregistered and misbranded pesticides. The brand's licensee sued the EPA over that classification in August 2023. Check current stock of replacement elements before you buy.

Water filter/countertop

Big Berkey Gravity System

Name: Big Berkey Gravity System
Brand: Berkey

Genuinely cheap per gallon, but 'tested to' lab claims; we found no NSF/ANSI certification listing as of 2026-06-05. In our view, the widest claim-vs-proof gap in the set.

3.2out of 10

Limited

Rubric: water-v1.0
Confidence: Verified

Bottom line

In our scoring the Big Berkey Gravity System earns 3.2/10, a weak result, and it scores best on practical fit (7.0/10). On the data, we found no accredited NSF, WQA, or IAPMO certification as of 2026-06-05, so its contaminant claims are unverified. It works out to about $0.028 per gallon, very cheap per gallon. Our main catch: marketed for lead removal; we found no NSF/ANSI 53 lead listing as of 2026-06-05.

Flags

· Marketed for lead removal; we found no NSF/ANSI 53 lead listing as of 2026-06-05.
· Marketed for PFAS removal; we found no NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 PFOA/PFOS listing as of 2026-06-05.
· We found no third-party certification listing on the NSF/WQA/IAPMO databases as of 2026-06-05. 'Tested to' earns no certification credit.

Flags indicate missing certifications or data gaps under our rubric, not a confirmed finding that a product fails to perform.

Recalls and advisories

EPA EPA Region 8 stop sale, use or removal order under FIFRA covering Black Berkey filters and the Berkey systems sold with them, issued to James Enterprise Inc. (dba Berkey Filters). A second order, FIFRA-08-2023-0038, followed in May 2023. A regulatory order, not a recall; verify current status. source

Where to buy

No buy link on this one: it scored Limited under our rubric, and we only link products we would shortlist ourselves.

Total cost of ownership

Checked 60 days ago

~Annual filters: $31/yr
Per gallon: $0.028

Which cartridge fits, and where to reorder it

Certifications

We found no third-party certification on an official database as of 2026-06-05. Any performance claims are unverified.

Filters only protect you on their swap schedule. Get an email reminder when this one is due - one note around swap time, nothing else.

Overview

The Big Berkey Gravity System is a countertop water filter. We found no accredited NSF, WQA, or IAPMO certification for it as of 2026-06-05 - its contaminant claims are "tested to" lab results. It is also marketed for lead, PFOA, PFOS, chlorine taste and odor, fluoride, for which we found no accredited third-party certification as of 2026-06-05 (so we award no certification credit; this is not a finding that it fails to reduce them). Running cost works out to about $0.028 per gallon.

By the numbers

Certified to reduce: nothing certified (claims are 'tested to' only)
Marketed, no certification found: lead, PFOA, PFOS, chlorine taste and odor, fluoride
Format: countertop
Cartridge life: 6,000 gallons
Cost per gallon: $0.028
Annual filter cost (~1,100 gal): $31/yr
Install: gravity countertop, no plumbing

Strengths

No standout strengths in our scoring.

Watch-outs

- Verified Contaminant Reduction: 0.0/10
- Certification Independence: 3.0/10
- Marketed for lead removal; we found no NSF/ANSI 53 lead listing as of 2026-06-05.
- Marketed for PFAS removal; we found no NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 PFOA/PFOS listing as of 2026-06-05.
- We found no third-party certification listing on the NSF/WQA/IAPMO databases as of 2026-06-05. 'Tested to' earns no certification credit.

Who it is for

· Cost-conscious buyers - very low cost per gallon

Who should skip it

· Anyone who needs verified contaminant removal - we found no accredited certification for this product as of 2026-06-05
· Anyone buying specifically for lead - it is marketed for it and we found no certification listing as of 2026-06-05

What to know before buying

· We found no NSF, WQA, or IAPMO certification listing for Black Berkey elements as of 2026-06-05; the brand relies on its own commissioned third-party 'tested to' lab data rather than independent certification.
· On December 22, 2022 the EPA's Region 8 office issued a stop sale, use or removal order under FIFRA (the federal pesticide law) to James Enterprise Inc., doing business as Berkey Filters. The order says the EPA had reason to believe the Black Berkey filters, and the Berkey systems sold with them, were unregistered and misbranded pesticides, citing the seller's own pathogen-removal and antimicrobial-silver statements. A second order, dated May 2023, went to Berkey International LLC. Both are linked below.
· New Millennium Concepts, Ltd., which markets Berkey-branded filters, and trustee James Shepherd sued the EPA in August 2023 (N.D. Texas, case 4:23-cv-826), disputing that classification. We have not scored the filters on the merits of that dispute.
· Replacement Black Berkey elements (BB9-2) are sold in pairs and rated by the manufacturer for about 6,000 gallons each; fluoride reduction requires separate add-on PF-2 filters.

Sources

How it scored

Verified Contaminant Reduction

0.0/10 · 35%

Held NSF/WQA/IAPMO certifications for the contaminants that matter. A claim is not a certification.

·No third-party contaminant certification Aclaims only, uncertified - We found no NSF/WQA/IAPMO certification as of 2026-06-05. Performance claims are unverified.

Total Cost of Ownership

5.0/10 · 25%

Computed cost per gallon vs the format-class median. The number nobody surfaces.

+5Cost per gallon vs class median A$0.028/gal (below class median) - Computed cost per gallon scored against the format-class median.

Certification Independence

3.0/10 · 15%

Certified on the official database vs self-claimed 'tested to' marketing.

·Not verifiable on a certification database Ano database listing - We found no third-party certification listing as of 2026-06-05. 'Tested to NSF standards' earns no certification credit.
+3Per-contaminant reduction disclosed Bperformance data sheet - Publishes percent reduction per contaminant at rated capacity.
·Marketing exceeds certified scope Aclaims beyond certified scope - Marketing emphasizes contaminants the certifications do not cover.

Capacity & Flow Fit

5.0/10 · 15%

Cartridge life and flow appropriate to the format.

+3Cartridge life fits the format B6000 gal (norm 450) - Rated cartridge life is appropriate for this filter format.
+2Honestly rated filter life Bgallon rating matches typical use - Months claim matches the gallon rating at typical use.

Practical Fit

7.0/10 · 10%

Install, footprint, and source-water readiness.

+5Install type disclosed Cgravity countertop, no plumbing - Install method and difficulty are disclosed up front.
+2Predictable replacement schedule Chonest life rating - Replacement schedule is predictable from the honest gallon rating.

FAQ

Is the Big Berkey Gravity System NSF certified, and does it remove lead or PFAS?: We found no accredited NSF, WQA, or IAPMO certification for it in the public databases as of 2026-06-05 - its contaminant claims are "tested to" lab results, so we award no certification credit. It is marketed for lead; we found no accredited lead certification as of 2026-06-05. It is marketed for PFAS; we found no accredited PFAS certification as of 2026-06-05.
Is the Big Berkey NSF certified?: We found no NSF, WQA, or IAPMO certification listing for Berkey as of 2026-06-05; its contaminant claims come from manufacturer-commissioned lab testing rather than an independent certification body.
Why has Berkey availability been disrupted?: In December 2022 and again in May 2023 the EPA issued FIFRA stop sale, use or removal orders covering Black Berkey filters and the Berkey systems sold with them, saying it had reason to believe they were unregistered and misbranded pesticides. The brand's licensee sued the EPA over that classification in August 2023. Check current stock of replacement elements before you buy.

Compared head-to-head

Related guides

This score is our opinion under our published rubric, not a statement of objective fact or a lab test of this product. We score what third-party certifications prove; absence of a certification means we found no verification as of 2026-06-05, not that a product fails to perform. Last reviewed 2026-06-05. Scored under water-v1.0. Prices were last checked 60 days ago; the freshness chip above the cost panel shows the current state. See the methodology for how each rule fires.