In 2008, Trenton Harbour says he hit bottom.

At the time a private, portfolio manager and investor, he was nearly bankrupt and a bout with Lyme disease was taking a toll on his health and personal life.

A simple glass of water changed his life.

Part of the process of gaining back his health included eating better. Water was important – pure, clean water.

A friend introduced Harbour to Berkey Water Filtration Systems, based in Colorado.

In October 2010, the Enumclaw resident opened the online business www.BerkeyShop.com, where he distributes and sells the water purifying products.

Berkey systems keep the minerals in, he said, and the chlorine, heavy metals and pathogens out.

“They’re pretty amazing,” the 1991 Enumclaw High School graduate said. “The business really developed out of my own health.”

Berkey systems claim to be the world’s most powerful and economic personal water purification systems for both home and hostile environment use. Harbour said Berkey systems are among the go-to products for UNICEF and the Red Cross during disaster relief.

According to the parent website, Berkey systems are capable of treating tap water, but also purifying untreated water from remote lakes, streams, stagnant ponds and water supplies in foreign countries where regulations may not be up to snuff.

“Fifty percent are used for camping and travel,” Harbour said.

Products, which use a microporous filtration system, range from a portable system that can filter stream water that runs about $30 up to the Berkey Imperial System which can purify 5.5 gallons an hour or handle 16.5 gallons of water an hour for roughly $310. He said the average system costs about $250.

Harbour has received positive response from customers and the business continues to grow with rising popularity with the Chinese, Australians and Canadians. He said there has been added interest, similar to Y2K, with the flip of the calendar to 2012.