Abstract: Disclosed are aqueous water clarifier compositions used to demulsify and clarify oil-water dispersions and emulsions derived from petroleum industry operations. The disclosed aqueous water clarifier composition comprises an anionic polymer, a chelating agent, optionally a base, and optionally an alcohol. Specifically the anionic polymer is a latex dispersion of an anionic polymers comprise an anionic polymer comprising: A) 2 to 80 percent by weight of at least one C3-C8 ?,?-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer; B) 15 to 80 percent by weight of at least one nonionic, copolymerizable ?,?-ethylenically unsaturated monomer; C) 0 to 50 percent by weight of one or more of the following monomers: C1) at least one nonionic vinyl surfactant ester; or C2) at least one nonionic, copolymerizable ?,?-ethylenically unsaturated monomer having longer polymer chains than monomer B), or C3) at least one nonionic urethane monomer; and, optionally, D) 0 to 5 percent by weight of at least one crosslinker.