Abstract: Polluted waste water is combined with preferably shredded trash including organic trash components to form a water-trash mixture from which inorganic substances such as sand are initially gravitationally setted out and removed. The trash-water mixture is then passed into a roughing filter constructed of a plurality of individual, replaceable filter elements stocked with non-activated carbon to remove floating and suspended particulate matter from the mixture. Thereafter, the water is flowed through a fine filter, also constructed of individual filter elements but stocked with activated carbon for the removal of remaining particulate matter as well as dissolved substances. The filter elements are intermittently regenerated by heating the coal and the residue deposited thereon under an oxygen deficiency to degas organic matters of the residue and form additional filter carbon, both non-activated and activated carbon.

Abstract: In the filtration cycle, a fluid such as water containing suspended solid waste matter is treated with a coagulating agent and gravity-fed through a plurality of individual filter cells, or modules, containing a particulate, coarse, granular filter media. Backwashing is effected by injecting water into the filter media at the bottom center of the cell, causing the filter media to well upwardly and to form on the surface a series of polarly oriented ridges and troughs, the troughs serving to guide "mudballs" and coagulant particles on the media into an inlet port connected to the injector pipe where the high pressure water breaks up the mudballs into manageable particle sizes and scours the media. Solid particles suspended in the water overlying the media are drawn off through a backwash overflow and are fed into a clarifier where separation is effected and clarified water is provided for re-injection into the media.

Abstract: Method of separating a mixture of a carrier medium and at least one substance insoluble therein, for example, water and oil or gas and soot, in which the mixture is separated in three steps, i.e. a first step in which the mixture is passed for coalescence of the substance through a first packet of moving filter material, a second step in which the substance coalesced segregates from the mixture by gravity and a third step in which the remainder of the substance and the other packet of filter material is filtered out.

Abstract: An apparatus for treatment of sewage and waste materials, and while applicable to larger installations, is particularly desirable for relatively small, for example family and multi-family installations, utilizing high rate bio-chemical oxidation/physio-chemical adsorption, in which the sewage is subjected to a primary biological treatment, and a secondary settling treatment, with the primary-secondary effluent, following addition thereto of an organic-inorganic chemical material comprising prereacted floc, a phosphate precipitating material and a nonionic polyelectrolyte, operative to maintain pH and zeta potential favorable to floccuation, being subjected to a tertiary treatment by passage through a mixed filtration and adsorption bed containing activated carbon, the mixed bed being periodically regenerated by a partial wet-gas oxygenation cycle, utilizing a reflex operation in which the products of regeneration are returned to the primary treatment, and in which the final effluent may, for example, contain

Abstract: A sand settler filter with a weir and scum trough mounted on a tank having a valved sludge outlet, a perforate filter bed support carried below the weir and above an effluent feed to the tank is characterized by a pressure sensor responsive to a resistance to movement of contents of the tank and connected to a valved outlet from the tank, preferably through a ballast chamber operable, in a method according to the invention; for back flushing the filter bed and the valved sludge outlet preferably being operable in response to a torque sensor drivably coupled to a paddle carried at the bottom of the tank.

Abstract: A waste water evaporation system includes an elongated evaporation bed having an upper layer of rock pieces and a lower sand layer. A perforated pipe extends in the rock layer to slowly deliver waste water for percolation into the sand layer; and a lower layer of rock pieces under the sand layer may receive drainage of excess water for recirculation to the top layer via a sump and pump.

Abstract: An aerobic bacteria sewage treatment apparatus for treating waste water mixed with activated sludge by circulating the mixed liquor about a clarification compartment placed in a main treatment tank from which the clarification compartment withdraws water at a quiescent zone and further separates out and filters solid matter, finally delivering a well clarified effluent withdrawn from the top of the clarification compartment, the apparatus having an auxiliary digester compartment operative to periodically receive a proportion of the contents of the main tank, which contents are treated and allowed a time to settle out solids, whereupon the clear water from the auxiliary compartment is returned to the main treatment tank and the solids are left to accumulate for further treatment and later removal, the transfer of said proportion of the mixed liquor from the main tank being accomplished by overflow resulting from a purge cycle during which the clarification compartment is back-flushed into the main treatment ta

Abstract: A system for recovering chemically-treated water used to backwash and rinse a manganese oxide zeolite filter. The backwash and rinse waters are placed in a recovery basin, preferably with a coagulating agent, wherein the waters are agitated and then allowed to settle and thereby to separate from the water impurities removed from the filter. The backwash and rinse water so purified is then returned to the filter inlet for a normal service filtering pass through the filter. A number of filters are preferably serviced by each recovery basin, and automatic control means for the system are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus reduces the amount of radioactive solids resulting from the filtration of particulate contaminants from liquid in a nuclear reactor plant. A filtration system includes a pre-filter comprising a sheet filter medium through which the reactor liquid passes to remove relatively large particulate contaminants for storage or disposal. The reactor liquid is then passed through a bed of granular filter medium to accumulate substantially all the previously non-filtered contaminants and thereby provide a clarified liquid suitable for reuse in the reactor. Backwash liquid is flowed through the granular filter bed to remove and entrain the accumulated contaminants into a slurry which is received by a reservoir where the slurry is maintained quiescently to settle the contaminants.

Abstract: This invention relates to water pollution control and concerns a system for removing dispersed oil from water by contacting the oily water with sulfur to cause the oil to coalesce or agglomerate. In a preferred embodiment, the water containing the dispersed oil is passed through a bed of granular media presenting a surface area of solid phase sulfur to coalesce the dispersed oil. The coalesced oil is then separated from the water.