Backwash assembly and method having a rotating backwash arm for cleaning cloth filter media

An improved backwash system for backwashing cloth filter media attached to a frame, comprising:

• a suction header;
• a rotating backwash arm in fluid communication with said suction header;
• a backwash shoe in fluid communication with said rotating backwash arm;
• and,
• a rotating means to cause the selective rotation of said rotating backwash arm.

A method for backwashing cloth filter media attached to a frame comprising the steps of:

• introducing untreated influent into a treatment basin and distributing said influent into a filtration region of said basin;
• filtering said influent through cloth filter media supported on at least two substantially linear, opposingly spaced filter plate frames, an interior of said at least two adjacent filter plate frames in fluid communication with at least one basin outlet;
• periodically cleaning said cloth filter media on said at least two adjacent filter plate frames by backwashing using a linearly moving backwash assembly including a source of suction and at least one substantially cylindrical rotating backwash arm communicating with a source of suction, said rotating backwash arm adapted to backwash opposing filter plate frame cloth filter media surfaces consecutively;
• and
• selectively rotating said backwash arm assembly to enable the backwashing of an adjacent cloth filter media surface consecutively, as desired.

A method for filtering an influent flow of water or wastewater using stationary cloth media in a filtration basin comprising the steps of:

• introducing an influent flow into an influent channel;
• distributing the influent flow across the bottom of the filtration basin using at least one influent plenum having metering slots;
• filtering said influent through said cloth filter media which is supported on at least two adjacent substantially linear, opposingly spaced filter plates in a filtration reservoir of the filtration basin, an interior of said at least two adjacent filter plates in fluid communication with at least one effluent plenum which is sealed from unfiltered influent and through which the filtered effluent is discharged;
• and
• periodically cleaning said cloth filter media on said at least two adjacent filter plates using a linearly moving backwash assembly including a source of suction and at least one substantially cylindrical rotating backwash arm communicating with said source of suction, each rotating backwash arm adapted to backwash opposing filter plate surfaces consecutively.