Method and apparatus for treating water

An apparatus for treating water so as to kill microorganisms and so as to oxidize oxidizable material within said water which comprises:

• first and second elongated, tubular containers, each of said containers having a top and a bottom and being substantially transparent to ultraviolet radiation,
• connecting means placing the bottoms of said containers in liquid communication with one another,
• inlet means for enclosing the top of said first container and for passing a stream of water into the top of said first container so that said stream of water forms a thin film of water along an interior wall within said first container which will pass downwardly toward the bottom of said first container through the action of gravity,
• outlet means located at the top of said second container for creating a back pressure sufficient to retain a body of water within said second container and within said connecting means and a gaseous body in said first container,
• a single ultraviolet radiation source means located adjacent to both of said containers and extending along the lengths of both of said containers for producing ultraviolet radiation of a frequency and of an intensity capable of causing the formation of ozone and killing microorganisms for exposing gas from said gaseous body trapped within said first container between the top and the bottom thereof and a film of water against said wall within said first container to ultraviolet radiation, and for exposing a body of water within said second container to ultraviolet radiation.

A method for treating water so as to kill microorganisms within said water and so as to oxidize oxidizable material within said water which comprises:

• placing a thin film of water in contact with a gaseous body containing a gas reactant selected from the group consisting of oxygen, ozone and mixtures within a first vertically extending container thereof while exposing both said film and said gaseous body to ultraviolet radiation of a frequency and of an intensity capable of causing the formation of ozone and killing microorganisms, said first container being substantially transparent to said untraviolet radiation,
• said film being formed by directing a stream of water against an upper portion of a wall within said first container, said wall being of such a character that said water directed toward it adheres to said wall as a result of surface tension and moves downwardly along said wall as a result of the action of gravity,
• said film being sufficiently thin to enable substantially all of said water within said film to be in contact with said gaseous body during movement of said film in contact with said gaseous body,
• collecting the water from within said film which has been in contact with said gaseous body at the bottom of said first container and conveying said collected water into the bottom of a second vertically extending container so as to form a liquid body of water within said second container, said second container being substantially transparent to said ultraviolet radiation,
• said gaseous body being maintained within said first container by restricting the flow of water through said containers,
• exposing said liquid body of said water to ultraviolet radiation of a frequency and of an intensity capable of causing the formation of ozone and killing microorganisms while moving said water upwardly within said body under turbulent conditions sufficient to continuously mix with water within said liquid body,
• said film of water is placed in contact with said gaseous body by water being continuously passed in contact with said gaseous body,
• collected water from within said film is continuously introduced into one end of said liquid body and is continuously moved from one extremity of said liquid body to another extremity of said liquid body.