A water filter assembly for a refrigerator, the water filter assembly comprising: a filter body comprising a vertical side wall, a floor having a top side, the floor and the vertical side wall together defining a cavity, wherein the cavity is defined along a vertical plane as a filtered cavity portion and an unfiltered cavity portion, a filtration media residing within a portion of filter body to treat contaminates from water traveling through filtration media, an outlet hole defined in the floor of the filter body, a plurality of vertical barriers extending from the top side of the floor, the plurality of vertical barriers defining a plurality of flow paths that converge at the outlet hole, and a plurality of cutouts defined in an upper portion of the plurality of vertical barriers, each cutout of the plurality of cutouts defining an alternative overflow path permitting water therethrough at a height of the plurality of cutouts; characterized in that, the water filter assembly further comprises a first filter layer mounted within the cavity of the filter body and resting atop vertical barriers of the filter body, at least a portion of the first filter layer being present within the filtered cavity portion of the filter body and at least a portion the first filter layer being present within the unfiltered cavity portion of the filter body, wherein filtration media reside within portions of the first filter layer, the first filter layer comprising a first filter floor having a top side, and a plurality of first filter vertical barriers extending from the top side of the first filter floor and defining a plurality of first filter flow paths that all originate from the portion of the first filter layer present within the unfiltered cavity portion, discrete first filter outlet holes being defined at an end of each first filter flow path to permit water to drop to the floor of the filter body below it. a filter body comprising a vertical side wall, a floor having a top side, the floor and the vertical side wall together defining a cavity, wherein the cavity is defined along a vertical plane as a filtered cavity portion and an unfiltered cavity portion, a filtration media residing within a portion of filter body to treat contaminates from water traveling through filtration media, an outlet hole defined in the floor of the filter body, a plurality of vertical barriers extending from the top side of the floor, the plurality of vertical barriers defining a plurality of flow paths that converge at the outlet hole, and a plurality of cutouts defined in an upper portion of the plurality of vertical barriers, each cutout of the plurality of cutouts defining an alternative overflow path permitting water therethrough at a height of the plurality of cutouts; characterized in that, the water filter assembly further comprises a vertical side wall, a floor having a top side, the floor and the vertical side wall together defining a cavity, wherein the cavity is defined along a vertical plane as a filtered cavity portion and an unfiltered cavity portion, a filtration media residing within a portion of filter body to treat contaminates from water traveling through filtration media, an outlet hole defined in the floor of the filter body, a plurality of vertical barriers extending from the top side of the floor, the plurality of vertical barriers defining a plurality of flow paths that converge at the outlet hole, and a plurality of cutouts defined in an upper portion of the plurality of vertical barriers, each cutout of the plurality of cutouts defining an alternative overflow path permitting water therethrough at a height of the plurality of cutouts; characterized in that, the water filter assembly further comprises a first filter layer mounted within the cavity of the filter body and resting atop vertical barriers of the filter body, at least a portion of the first filter layer being present within the filtered cavity portion of the filter body and at least a portion the first filter layer being present within the unfiltered cavity portion of the filter body, wherein filtration media reside within portions of the first filter layer, the first filter layer comprising a first filter floor having a top side, and a plurality of first filter vertical barriers extending from the top side of the first filter floor and defining a plurality of first filter flow paths that all originate from the portion of the first filter layer present within the unfiltered cavity portion, discrete first filter outlet holes being defined at an end of each first filter flow path to permit water to drop to the floor of the filter body below it. a first filter floor having a top side, and a plurality of first filter vertical barriers extending from the top side of the first filter floor and defining a plurality of first filter flow paths that all originate from the portion of the first filter layer present within the unfiltered cavity portion, discrete first filter outlet holes being defined at an end of each first filter flow path to permit water to drop to the floor of the filter body below it.