Gravity powered liquid purification system

1. A gravity powered liquid treatment system comprising:

a first container for receiving contaminated liquid therein, the first container having an interior, an open top and a bottom wall with a first opening;

a filter located in the interior of said first container for removing contaminants from the contaminated liquid;

a second container for receiving liquid that has passed through the filter, wherein the second container has a top wall with a second opening, and wherein the bottom wall of the first container is positioned on top of the top wall of the second container such that the first opening is in vertical alignment with the second opening;

a unitary bulkhead fitting having a head defining a radial shoulder, a threaded stem extending axially from the radial shoulder, and an outlet passage extending coaxially through the head and threaded stem, wherein the radial shoulder bears against a bottom interior surface portion of the upper end wall of the second container surrounding the second opening, and wherein the threaded stem extends through the second opening of the second container and the first opening of the first container and into the interior of the first container;

wherein the system is a non-pressurized, gravity fed system, such that gravitational forces are exerted on the liquid located in said first container to thereby exert a force causing the liquid to flow through the filter and into said second container;

wherein the first container is subject to atmospheric pressure and atmospheric conditions;

wherein the filter comprises filter media having a tubular shape, a top end cap closing an upper end of the tubular filter media, a bottom end cap closing a bottom end of the tubular filter media, wherein the bottom end cap includes a threaded outlet opening, wherein the threaded outlet opening of the bottom end cap is threadedly engaged with the threaded stem of the bulkhead fitting to attach the bottom end cap of the filter to a bottom interior surface of the bottom wall of the first container, the tubular filter media being formed of a plurality of nanofibers made of a metallic material that are grafted to a plurality of microglass fibers, and wherein the plurality of nanofibers are electropositively charged;

wherein the filter media further comprises a plurality of pores, wherein the filter media comprises a mean pore size that is within a range of about 1 micron to about 2 microns, such that microbiological and other contaminants containing an overall electronegative charge are permitted to enter through the plurality of pores of the filter media and are electrically attracted by the electropositive charge of the nanofibers thereby substantially removing the electronegatively charged contaminants from the liquid passing through the filter media.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the nanofibers are nanoalumina fibers.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the electropositive charge of the nanoalumina fibers extend out from said fibers between a range of about 0.50 microns to about 1.5 microns.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the electropositive charge of the nanoalumina fibers extend about 1.0 micron from said fibers.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a pre-screen device, wherein contaminated liquid passes through the pre-screen device and into the first container.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the filter comprises three layers of the filter media, which layers are co-pleated together.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the filter comprises a 2.5 inch by 7 inch filter housing and the filter media comprises an exterior surface area that is 405 square inches.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the flow rate through the filter media to surface area of said filter media, holding head pressure constant, is between a range of about 7.0×10 −5 gallons per minute/square inch to about 2.4×10 −4 gallons per minute/square inch.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid flows through the filter at a flow rate that is between a range of about 2.5×10 −2 gallons per minute to about 1.1×10 −1 gallons per minute.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first container is a two gallon container, wherein the liquid flows through the filter at a flow rate that is between a range of about 2.5×10 −2 gallons per minute to about gallons per minute, wherein the flow rate increases proportionally with increased volume and weight of a column of liquid within the first container, wherein said column is defined by a cross-sectional area of an exit of the first container.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first container is a five gallon container, wherein the liquid flows through the filter at a flow rate that is between a range of about 8.5×10 −2 gallons per minute to about 1.1×10 −1 gallons per minute, wherein the flow rate increases proportionally with increased volume and weight of a column of liquid within the first container, wherein said column is defined by a cross-sectional area of an exit of the first container.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein said metallic material is a mineral containing aluminum.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the mineral is boehmite.

14. The system of claim 1 , said metallic material is alumina, and wherein the combination of the plurality of nanoalumina fibers grafted onto the plurality of microglass structural fibers creates a non-woven fabric material.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the filter media is pleated.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the filter media is manufactured into a pleat pack that comprises a plurality of layers of said non-woven fabric material.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the filter further comprises a catalyst for increasing adsorption and oxidation, and kinetic degradation fluxion (KDF) media to increase the filter contaminate removal capabilities of said filter.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the filter reduces the amount of bacteria, viruses and cysts from the contaminated liquid to at least a 6-log reduction for bacteria, at least a 4-log reduction for viruses, and at least a 3-log reduction for cysts.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the nanofibers are nanoalumina fibers comprising an electropositive charge,

wherein the electropositive charge of the nanoalumina fibers extend out from said fibers between a range of about 0.50 microns to about 1.5 microns,

wherein the system further comprises a pre-screen device, wherein contaminated liquid passes through the pre-screen device and into the first container,

wherein the filter media comprises three layers of the filter media, which layers are co-pleated together,

wherein the filter comprises a 2.5 inch by 7 inch filter housing and the filter media comprises an exterior surface area that is 405 square inches,

wherein a ratio of the flow rate through the filter media to surface area of said filter media, holding head pressure constant, is between a range of about 7.0×10 −5 gallons per minute/square inch to about 2.4×10 −4 gallons per minute/square inch,

wherein said metallic material is a mineral containing aluminum,

wherein the mineral is boehmite,

wherein the combination of the plurality of nanoalumina fibers grafted onto the plurality of microglass structural fibers creates a non-woven fabric material,

wherein the filter media is pleated,

wherein the filter reduces the amount of bacteria, viruses and cysts from the contaminated liquid to at least a 6-log reduction for bacteria, at least a 4-log reduction for viruses, and at least a 3-log reduction for cysts.