Orbital wastewater treatment system with integral clarification

A system for treating wastewater comprising:

• (a) a tank having at least two sidewalls, at least two end walls, and a bottom;
• (b) at least one partition mounted in said tank substantially parallel to said sidewalls to define an endless, circuitous channel for flow of liquid in said tank;
• (c) aerating-impelling means mounted in said tank for mixing gas with the liquid in said tank and impelling the liquid to flow through said endless, circuitous channel;
• (d) a wastewater inlet mounted in flow communication with said tank for introducing wastewater into said tank;
• (e) clarifier means disposed in the endless, circuitous channel having liquid inlet means to receive part of the liquid, including mixed liquor, flowing through said channel and to retain the liquid in a quiescent zone so that biological sludge settles from the liquid to form supernatant clarified liquid, said clarifier means extending between one of said sidewalls and said partition, and said clarifier means further including
• (i) a first baffle extending at least between one of said sidewalls and one of said partitions,
• (ii) a second baffle spaced apart from said first baffle and extending at least between one of said sidewalls and one of said partitions to form the quiescent zone between said first and second baffles, and
• (iii) a floor means extending between the lower ends of said first and said second baffles,
• (f) sludge transfer means to convey sludge from said clarifier means to said circuitous channel;
• and
• (g) liquid outlet means connected in fluid flow communication with said clarifier means to remove clarified liquid from the quiescent zone of said clarifier means.