Abstract: A filtration system comprising a floor panel and a plurality of wall panels connected to each other to define a box, at least one filtering wall vertically inclined and supported inward of a corresponding wall panel such as to define a first free space therebetween, a filtering floor horizontally inclined and supported above the floor panel such as to define a second free space therebetween, the filtering floor being connected to the filtering wall to define a filter chamber, a plurality of openings defined in the filtering wall and the filtering floor sized to let a liquid pass through and retain at least one target solid within the filter chamber, an inlet in fluid communication with the filter chamber, and an outlet in fluid communication with the first and second free spaces. A method of filtering at least one target solid from a liquid is also provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the treatment of waste sludge. The apparatus comprises as its main feature a vertically extending housing unit having a height/width ratio sufficient to provide separate zones in the housing unit, including a settling zone for thickened sludge, a mid-level buffer zone for waste sludge containing solid matter in suspension and a supernatant treatment zone for supernatant treatment. The housing unit also has an inclined bottom with a slope sufficient to cause a lateral and a gravity force to be exerted by the solid matter in the sludge along the inclined bottom to yield a thickened sludge at the settling zone of the housing unit and a supernatant liquid having a reduced solid content at the supernatant treatment zone of the housing unit. The height/width ratio of the housing unit is important to provide the three zones referred to above by which treatment of the supernatant can be conducted in the supernatant treatment zone with minimal disturbance to the settling zone.