Method and apparatus for treating wastewater

An apparatus for treating wastewater which operates without ballast material supplied from outside comprising:

• a physical-chemical reactor which operates without ballast material supplied from outside;
• a chemical supply, free of ballast material supplied from outside, operably connected to the physical-chemical reactor;
• a clarifier operably connected to and located downstream of the physical-chemical reactor which operates without ballast material supplied from outside;
• and
• a control system that directs
• unconditioned influent into the clarifier when influent conditions are within a selected range, and
• conditioned influent, resulting from direct or indirect introduction of chemicals and recirculated ballast generated within the clarifier, into the physical-chemical reactor and then into the clarifier when the influent conditions are within a selected different range.

An apparatus for treating wastewater comprising:

• one physical-chemical reactor;
• a chemical supply operably connected to the physical-chemical reactor;
• a clarifier operably connected to and located downstream of the physical-chemical reactor;
• and
• a control system that directs
• unconditioned influent into the clarifier when influent conditions are within a selected range, and
• conditioned influent, resulting from direct or indirect introduction of chemicals and recirculated ballast generated within the clarifier, into the physical-chemical reactor and then into the clarifier when the influent conditions are within a selected different range.

An apparatus for treating wastewater comprising:

• a physical-chemical reactor;
• a chemical supply operably connected to the physical-chemical reactor;
• a clarifier operably connected to and located downstream of the physical-chemical reactor;
• a ballast recirculation line operably connected between the clarifier and the physical-chemical reactor;
• and
• a control system that directs
• a) influent into the clarifier when influent conditions are within a selected range, and
• b) chemicals, either directly or indirectly, and influent into the physical-chemical reactor and then into the clarifier when the influent conditions are within a selected different range, and
• c) ballast generated within the clarifier into the physical-chemical reactor through the ballast recirculation line when the influent conditions are within the selected different range.

An apparatus for treating wastewater which operates without introducing ballast material supplied from outside comprising:

• a physical-chemical reactor which operates without introducing ballast material supplied from outside;
• a clarifier operably connected to and located downstream of the physical-chemical reactor;
• a chemical supply operably connected to the physical-chemical reactor which operates without introducing ballast material supplied from outside;
• and
• a control system that directs
• a) influent into the clarifier when influent conditions are within a selected range, and
• b) chemicals, either directly or indirectly, and influent into the physical-chemical reactor and then into the clarifier when the influent conditions are within a selected different range.

An apparatus for treating wastewater comprising:

• one physical-chemical reactor;
• a chemical supply operably connected to the physical-chemical reactor;
• a clarifier operably connected to and located downstream of the physical-chemical reactor;
• and
• a control system that directs
• a) influent into the clarifier when influent conditions are within a selected range, and
• b) chemicals, either directly or indirectly, and influent into the physical-chemical reactor and then into the clarifier when the influent conditions are within a selected different range.

An apparatus for treating wastewater, comprising:

• a physical-chemical reactor;
• a chemical supply operably connected to the physical-chemical reactor which introduces chemicals, either directly or indirectly, when the influent conditions are within a selected range and does not introduce chemicals into the physical-chemical reactor when the influent conditions are within a selected different range;
• a clarifier operably connected to and located downstream of the physical-chemical reactor;
• and
• a ballast recirculation line operably connected between the clarifier and the physical-chemical reactor which introduces ballast generated in the clarifier into the physical-chemical reactor when the influent conditions are within the selected different range.

An apparatus for treating wastewater which operates without ballast material supplied from outside comprising:

• a physical-chemical reactor which operates without ballast material supplied from outside;
• a chemical supply operably connected to the physical-chemical reactor which introduces chemicals into the physical-chemical reactor, either directly or indirectly, when the influent conditions are within a selected range and does not introduce chemicals into the physical-chemical reactor when the influent conditions are within a selected different range;
• and
• a clarifier operably connected to and located downstream of the physical-chemical reactor which operates without ballast material supplied from outside.

An apparatus for treating wastewater comprising:

• one physical-chemical reactor;
• a chemical supply operably connected to the physical-chemical reactor which introduces chemicals into the physical-chemical reactor, either directly or indirectly, when the influent conditions are within a selected different range and does not introduce chemicals into the physical-chemical reactor when the influent conditions are within a selected different range;
• and
• a clarifier operably connected to and located downstream of the physical-chemical reactor.

An apparatus for treating wastewater comprising:

• a physical-chemical reactor;
• a chemical supply operably connected to the physical-chemical reactor;
• a clarifier operably connected to and located downstream of the physical-chemical reactor;
• a ballast recirculation line operably connected between the clarifier and the physical-chemical reactor;
• and
• a control system that directs
• a) influent into 1) the clarifier but not the physical-chemical reactor when influent conditions are within a selected range and 2) the physical-chemical reactor and then into the clarifier when the influent conditions are within a selected different range,
• b) ballast generated within the clarifier into the physical-chemical reactor through the ballast recirculation line when the influent conditions are within the selected different range, and
• c) chemicals to the physical-chemical reactor, either directly or indirectly.

An apparatus for treating wastewater which operates without introducing ballast material supplied from outside comprising:

• a physical-chemical reactor;
• a chemical supply operably connected to the physical-chemical reactor;
• a clarifier operably connected to and located downstream of the physical-chemical reactor;
• and
• a control system that directs
• a) influent into 1) the clarifier but not the physical-chemical reactor when influent conditions are within a selected range and 2) the physical-chemical reactor and then into the clarifier when the influent conditions are within a selected different range, and
• b) chemicals to the physical-chemical reactor, either directly or indirectly, when the influent conditions are within the selected different range.

An apparatus for treating wastewater comprising:

• one physical-chemical reactor;
• a chemical supply operably connected to the physical-chemical reactor;
• a clarifier operably connected to and located downstream of the physical-chemical reactor;
• and
• a control system that directs
• a) influent into 1) the clarifier but not the physical-chemical reactor when influent conditions are within a selected range and 2) the physical-chemical reactor and then into the clarifier when the influent conditions are within a selected different range, and
• b) chemicals to the physical-chemical reactor, either directly or indirectly, when the influent conditions are within the selected different range.

A method of treating a variable flow of wastewater comprising:

• removing selected solid materials from the wastewater;
• during a normal flow or pollutant loading of wastewater, subjecting the wastewater to clarification in a clarifier;
• and
• during high influent conditions, 1) adding coagulant and/or flocculant to the wastewater, 2) recirculating ballast generated within the clarifier into the resulting mixture, 3) subjecting the resulting mixture to agitation in a physical-chemical reactor, and 4) subjecting the resulting mixture to settling in the clarifier.

A method of treating a variable flow of wastewater comprising:

• removing selected solid materials from the wastewater;
• during a normal flow or pollutant loading of wastewater, subjecting the wastewater to clarification in a clarifier;
• and
• during high influent conditions, 1) adding coagulant and/or flocculent and/or other reagents to the wastewater, 2) subjecting the resulting mixture to agitation in a single physical-chemical reactor, and 3) subjecting the resulting mixture to settling in the clarifier.

A method of treating a variable flow of wastewater comprising:

• removing selected solid materials from the wastewater;
• during a normal flow or pollutant loading of wastewater, subjecting the wastewater to clarification in a clarifier;
• and
• during high influent conditions and without introducing ballast material supplied from outside, 1) adding coagulant and/or flocculant and/or other reagents to the wastewater, 2) subjecting the resulting mixture to agitation in a physical-chemical reactor, and 3) subjecting the resulting mixture to settling in the clarifier.