Apparatus and method for treatment of water

A venturi for attachment to two pipe portions for injecting a second fluid into a first fluid flowing through the pipe portions comprising:

• a tubular member arranged for connection to a first pipe portion at a first end and a second pipe portion at a second end;
• the tubular member defining an interior bore and having an abutment shoulder within the bore;
• the tubular member having an opening in one side;
• and an insert member with a cylindrical body arranged for insertion into the interior bore and a head at one end defining a flange at said one end for engaging said abutment shoulder;
• the insert member having a venturi duct passing through the body from said one end to the opposite end at the second sleeve;
• the insert member having an air injection bore at right angles to the venturi duct and communicating with the opening.

A method of treating raw contaminated water from a water supply comprising:

• providing a separator housing having a first port and a second port;
• providing in the separator housing at least one separator element arranged within the housing including a water permeable membrane with a characteristic of preventing contaminants in the raw water from passing therethrough, a product water conducting layer arranged adjacent the water permeable layer for receiving water passing through the water permeable layer, and a product water carrier duct connected to the water conducting layer for receiving water therefrom;
• in a first direction, communicating the raw water from the water supply to the first port to pass over the membrane such that product water passes through the membrane leaving contaminants in the raw water to form a concentrated contaminated water stream and passing the stream to the second port;
• in a second direction, communicating the raw water from the water supply to the second port to pass over the membrane such that product water passes through the membrane leaving contaminants in the raw water to form a concentrated contaminated water stream and passing the stream to the first port;
• periodically reversing the direction between the first direction and the second direction;
• providing a product water outlet port in the housing connected to the carrier duct for receiving product water therefrom;
• collecting the concentrated contaminant water stream to form a return stream, extracting contaminants from the stream and returning at least some of the stream to the housing at said one of the first and second ports to pass again over the element;
• providing a first and a second filter element, each arranged adjacent a respective one of the first and second ports such that water flowing through the respective one of the first and second ports also flows through the respective filter element;
• the first and second ports, the first and second filter elements, the collection of the concentrated contaminant water stream and the return stream being arranged such that, in the first direction, the return stream passes through the first filter element in a first filter direction to the first port and the concentrated contaminant water stream exits from the second port through the second filter element in a first filter direction and such that, in the second direction, the return stream passes through the second filter element in a second filter direction to the second port and the concentrated contaminant water stream exits from the first port through the first filter element in a second filter direction.

A filter element comprising:

• a tubular filter housing having first and second end caps;
• a first port at one end cap;
• a second port in the tubular housing;
• a cylindrical filter screen mounted in the housing and attached to and carried by the end caps such that the first port communicates with the interior of the cylindrical filter screen and the second port communicates with an area outside the filter screen;
• the filter screen comprising a rigid, perforated cylindrical support, a fabric screen wrapped around the support and a covering layer wrapped around the fabric screen;
• whereby the fabric screen is supported for flow therethrough in both directions.

A filter element comprising:

• a tubular filter housing having first and second end caps;
• a first port at one end cap;
• a second port in the tubular housing;
• a tubular filter screen mounted in the housing and attached to and carried by the end caps such that the first port communicates with the interior of the cylindrical filter screen and the second port communicates with an area outside the filter screen;
• the filter screen comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending rods, end plates supporting the rods in parallel spaced relation and a fabric screen wrapped around the rods;
• the rods including an outer set and an inner set;
• the fabric screen being wrapped outside the outer rods and inside the inner rods so as to form a convoluted path.