Partitioned separator water treatment system with upflow filter
View Patent ↗A system designed to control and filter runoff water in storm drains is presented. Drain water frequently carries trash, organic matter, suspended solids, hydrocarbons, metals, nutrients and bacteria collected from streets and parking lots into a storm drain inlet, which enters storm water drain pipe systems. The present invention supplies a series of baffle boxes inserted in the drain water stream with a final box possessing an upflow filter and a hydrocarbon absorbing boom. The system can also support a storm flow bypass that directs high-flow storm runoff water directly to the outlet to protect the filter system.
1. a baffle box drain system, comprised of a rectangular box inserted in the flow stream of a drain, the drain possessing an inflow end and an outflow end,
the rectangular box divided into a plurality of separation chamber compartments, each compartment without a top, the compartment tops below the level of the inflow end and outflow end of the rectangular box,
the drain and rectangular box situated such that water enters the box at the inflow end and flows over the tops of the plurality of compartments allowing sediment and solid pollutants to be trapped in the compartments,
the last compartment at the outflow end possessing a baffle, an absorbent boom, and a horizontal upflow filter,
the baffle a solid vertical barrier across the rectangular box with a bottom opening leading into the last compartment and a top that extends in height above the tops of the other compartments, said height selected to force water flow below the baffle without restricting the flow rate of water through the outflow end during flooding,
the baffle attached in its middle to the upflow filter, the length of the baffle extending below the attachment point to the upflow filter selected to balance the flow rate of drain water into the last compartment through the bottom opening with the flow rate of water through the upflow filter,
the upflow filter situated such that water rising from the last compartment leaves through the outflow end of the drain due to water pressure formed in the last compartment, said water forced up through the upflow filter, said upflow filter designed to remove fine and dissolved pollutants from the drain water.
2. A baffle box drain system as in claim 1 where the absorbent boom is designed to absorb hydrocarbons dissolved in drain water.
3. A baffle box drain system as in claim 1 , where the length of the baffle from the bottom of the up flow filter to the bottom of the baffle is equal to or greater than the length of the baffle from the top of the up flow filter to the top of the baffle, said baffle length below the up flow filter creating a longer water flow path to increase sedimentation and prevent upflow filter clogging.