Water treatment systems and methods for poultry chillers

A water treatment system for a poultry chiller, the system comprising:

• a chiller tank with an auger, dasher, or rocker disposed in the chiller tank;
• a float holding tank at the chiller tank;
• and
• a float removal mechanism at the float holding tank that is configured to remove the float from the float holding tank,
• wherein the float holding tank is integrated with the chiller tank and outside a path of movement of the auger, dasher, or rocker,
• wherein the float removal mechanism comprises a floating weir in the float holding tank and a stationary vertical drain chute in communication with outside of the float holding tank,
• wherein the floating weir comprises a float collar and a tubular portion extending downwardly from the float collar,
• wherein the tubular portion is received inside or outside the drain chute and is configured to move up and down relative to the drain chute in response to fluctuation of a water level in the float holding tank, and
• wherein the floating weir comprises an upper opening with a weir edge configured to allow float on a surface of the water to pass over the weir edge into the upper opening and a lower opening configured to allow float passing through the floating weir to exit through the drain chute by gravity flow, the floating weir further configured to float in the water of the float holding tank with the weir edge proximate the water level in the float holding tank.