I can't wrap my brain around the amazing difference this shower filter has made!?! I had looked into buying a filter for the shower a couple of years ago but at the time I felt like it was more of a "luxury" or a "nice to have" type item but not a necessity or health requirement. I moved to a new city July 2022 and had noticed that my skin had become more dry and it didn't matter how much CeraVe lotion I used it would soak up and I would be dry again quickly. Fast forward to March 2023, I broke out in a rash from my collar bone down to my stomach, sides, waist and part of my back. I couldn't figure out what had caused the rash, nothing about my daily routine had changed, same diet, laundry detergent, shower soap, shampoo, etc that I've used forever. I tried every OTC, hydrocortisone, neosporin, ointment to make the rash go away. While the ointment would calm the bumps down and temporarily help with the itching, the rash seemed to come back or flare up when I would take a shower. You would think that I would have connected the dots and realize that it may be from the water, but I didn't come to that realization until I stumbled on a news article in April that was posted in March from the city water department in a local publication announcing that they would be making some changes to the water treatment process and NOT TO WORRY if the water smells or tastes more like chlorine as it's still "SAFE" to drink or use. The article was published in an online forum and below it was a subscriber comment section with a post from a local resident that offered more insight about the water treatment change along with a couple of links for readers to look at if they wanted to investigate for themselves. Being interested I followed the links and discovered that a few years prior, Erin Brockovich had been contacted by a group of concerned citizens from the next city over (which is run by the same water district authority as my city) because of a spike in health issues in people and pets ranging from mild to critically ill that were suddenly occurring after a water treatment change and the city not being responsive to peoples concerns and questions. Ms. Brockovich was kind enough to investigate the changes and provide answers for the people. I realized that this water treatment change was exactly the same process that was now taking place in my city as had been noted in the article. In the information that she provided was a detailed explanation of the water treatment change including what it's intended purpose was, how it was performed, the effects of the process, etc.... It was eye opening to say the very least. There was also a list of common symptoms that people could likely experience and the very first one listed was body rash. That's when I finally connected the dots that maybe the water was causing my rash....it would flare up in the shower within a couple of minutes of being in the water, I would also have a burning sensation when I shaved my legs and underarms without any razor nicks occurring which I found strange but had never suspected the water would be the reason. At that moment I made it a priority to purchase a water filter for the shower. I already knew I wanted a Berkey filter because I had done the research beforehand. Now I didn't know what really to expect with the filter and I was really hoping that it might help with the rash. Holy cow, the first shower with the filter installed was a complete night and day difference!!! Zero rash flare up, zero itching, zero burning, my hair felt so clean as I shampooed it and silky soft when rinsing it out, my skin was sooo soft too, I couldn't believe it! When I got out of the shower my skin didn't dry out immediately, my hair maintained moisture and that silky soft feeling and zero frizz when I used the hair dryer. The rash is now gone and I feel 100% confident that it was the filthy unfiltered chemical and toxic biofilm laden water that caused it. How cities and municipalities can get away with passing off the water they provide full of chemicals and byproducts as "safe" to use is disgusting to me. The information that I found on the subject was shocking and described a sludge byproduct that is produced from the "chlorine burn off" water treatment that a lot of cities are using, the sludge byproduct is not being captured or removed or flushed out but instead it continues to be passed through the water lines, the same water lines that connect to homes and businesses. When the Berkey filter arrived I removed my shower head for installation and what I found was appalling, a black slimy sludge trapped inside the shower head and the pipe from the shower. I attached pictures of the sludge filled pipe and one of many q-tips used for cleaning. You would think the sludge would have been visible when the water ran, but it wasn't until I took the shower head off and flushed it out and then of course there was nasty black water all over the tub and tiles. I went to town cleaning, scrubbing and removing as much of it as I could reach inside the pipe but I'm sure more sludge is in the plumbing behind the wall and throughout the house. I also cleaned the bathroom sink faucet which not surprising had the nasty sludge trapped in the aerator and faucet. Knowing this is what is in the water I use to brush my teeth is repulsive. Pictures also attached. My kitchen sink has a filter and I was happy to find that there was no sludge there. Obviously, the bathroom sink is getting a filter, I only wish Berkey made under the counter filters. Check your shower heads, plumbing and water faucets people, you may be surprised at what's lurking inside! Needless to say, I no longer consider having a shower filter as a "luxury or nice to have" item but a necessary health requirement. Without hesitation, I highly recommend the Berkey water filter for the shower, it was easy to install, arrived quickly and the results are incredible far exceeding my expectations.