Water treatment apparatus

A water treatment apparatus comprising:

• an influent water delivery arrangement for delivering influent water containing contaminants and dissolved air;
• an elongate process channel for receiving the influent water containing the contaminants and the dissolved air from the influent water delivery arrangement, for floating the contaminants with the dissolved air to separate the influent water into a layer of the contaminants floating over cleaned water, the process channel extending along a horizontal longitudinal central axis and having a clarifying portion with a front region with a front wall, a bottom wall, two opposing side walls and a rear region with a rear wall, separation of the influent water initiating near the front region of the clarifying portion of the process channel and progressing moving downstream toward the rear region;
• at least one baffle assembly positioned within the clarifying portion of the process channel downstream from the influent water delivery arrangement, the at least one baffle assembly comprising two elongate baffle members positioned horizontally at a midlevel height of the process channel above the central axis and extending at angles from opposite side walls in a lengthwise direction of the process channel and the central axis crossing each other in a horizontal X configuration, each elongate baffle member having an elongate horizontal surface for minimizing downward currents of the influent water in the clarifying portion of the process channel to allow the contaminants to readily float to the surface of the influent water;
• and
• a cleaned water outlet arrangement comprising at least three laterally spaced apart outlet conduits extending through the rear wall of the clarifying portion of the process channel near the bottom wall, each outlet conduit having an elongate intake opening extending along a bottom of the outlet conduit facing the bottom wall for intaking cleaned water upwardly from the bottom wall into the outlet conduit, the cleaned water outlet arrangement spreading cleaned water intake into the at least three laterally spaced apart outlet conduits along a longitudinal length and a spaced apart lateral width for minimizing downward currents of the influent water within the clarifying portion of the process channel, each outlet conduit including an outtake opening extending through the rear wall of the clarifying portion of the process channel and having flow control for controlling flow of the cleaned water from the clarifying portion of the process channel, the outlet conduits deliver the cleaned water from the clarifying portion of the process channel into a cleaned water reservoir, the cleaned water reservoir having a discharge exit arrangement at a discharge height that is elevated in height relative to the outtake openings of the outlet conduits.

A method of treating water with a water treatment apparatus comprising:

• delivering influent water containing contaminants and dissolved air into an elongate process channel with an influent water delivery arrangement;
• floating the contaminants with the dissolved air within the process channel to separate the influent water into a layer of the contaminants floating over cleaned water, the process channel extending along a horizontal longitudinal central axis and having a clarifying portion with a front region with a front wall, a bottom wall, two opposing side walls and a rear region with a rear wall, separation of the influent water initiating near the front region of the clarifying portion of the process channel and progressing moving downstream toward the rear region with at least one baffle assembly positioned within the clarifying portion of the process channel downstream from the influent water delivery arrangement, the at least one baffle assembly comprising two elongate baffle members positioned horizontally at a midlevel height of the process channel above the central axis and extending at angles from opposite side walls in a lengthwise direction of the process channel and the central axis crossing each other in a horizontal X configuration, each elongate baffle member having an elongate horizontal surface for minimizing downward currents of influent water in the clarifying portion of the process channel to allow the contaminants to readily float to the surface of the influent water;
• and
• removing the cleaned water from the clarifying portion of the process channel with a cleaned water outlet arrangement comprising at least two laterally spaced apart outlet conduits extending through the rear wall of the clarifying portion of the process channel near the bottom wall, each outlet conduit having an elongate intake opening extending along a bottom of the outlet conduit facing the bottom wall for intaking cleaned water upwardly from the bottom wall into the outlet conduit, the cleaned water outlet arrangement spreading cleaned water intake into the at least two laterally spaced apart outlet conduits along a longitudinal length and a spaced apart lateral width for minimizing downward currents of the influent water within the clarifying portion of the process channel.