US 12,582,943 B2 · System and method for groundwater treatment for non-potable use

Abstract

A system and method for reclaiming and treating groundwater collected from an underground level of a structure or building site to supply non-potable water to an end use system, such as an irrigation system, a pond, an equipment washing system, a cooling system, or a heating system. Groundwater seeps into such underground levels and has to be pumped out to prevent flooding the structure. Normally, this groundwater is discharged as a waste stream but can be treated for non-potable use using an three-stage treatment system comprising an ultrafiltration system, a water softener system, and a reverse osmosis system. The water softener system may be used or bypassed depending on acceptable TDS levels in the end use system and the TDS level of the reclaimed groundwater. Use of the system and method can save millions of gallons of groundwater per year per building site from being wasted.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A method of reclaiming and treating groundwater, the method comprising:

feeding a feed groundwater stream into an ultrafiltration system to produce a filtered groundwater stream comprising a lower amount of TSS than an amount of TSS in the feed groundwater stream and a lower amount of biological contaminants than an amount of biological contaminants in the feed groundwater stream;
feeding a first portion of the filtered groundwater stream into (1) a reverse osmosis system to produce a permeate groundwater stream and a concentrate stream or (2) a water softener system to produce a softened groundwater stream comprising a lower amount of TDS than an amount of TDS in the filtered groundwater stream and feeding the softened groundwater stream in the reverse osmosis system to produce the permeate groundwater stream and the concentrate stream;
and
feeding the permeate groundwater stream into an end use system that is configured to allow use of non-potable water, the end use system comprising an irrigation system, a pond, an equipment washing system, a cooling system, or a heating system.

1 more element

A system for reclaiming and treating groundwater, the system comprising:

an ultrafiltration system configured to receive a feed groundwater stream and produce a filtered groundwater stream comprising a lower amount of TSS than an amount of TSS in the feed groundwater stream and a lower amount of biological contaminants than an amount of biological contaminants in the feed groundwater stream;
a water softener system configured to selectively receive a water softener feed stream to produce a softened water stream comprising a lower amount of TDS than an amount of TDS in the water softener feed stream;
a reverse osmosis system configured to receive a reverse osmosis feed stream and produce a permeate groundwater stream and a concentrate stream;
a first valve configured to selectively bypass the water softener system, wherein when the water softener system (1) is not bypassed, the water softener feed stream comprises a first portion of the filtered groundwater stream and the reverse osmosis feed stream comprises the softened water stream or (2) is bypassed, the reverse osmosis feed stream comprises the first portion of the filtered groundwater stream;
a first discharge line in fluid communication with the reverse osmosis system and an end use system that is configured to allow use of non-potable water, the end use system comprising an irrigation system, a pond, an equipment washing system, a cooling system, or a heating system;
and
wherein the permeate groundwater stream is discharged through the first discharge line to the end use system.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for groundwater treatment for non-potable use

Life of this patent

System and method for groundwater treatment for non-potable use

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23