Chlorination and dechlorination apparatus and method

An apparatus for the treatment of a fluid by chlorination and dechlorination, comprising:

• A) a chlorinator;
• B) a contact tank having an upper end and a lower end;
• and
• C) a dechlorinator;
• D) the chlorinator comprising a chlorine tablet feeder, a chlorine tablet feeder supporter having a chlorine feeder base, and a first feeder housing;
• E) the contact tank comprising a closed hollow vessel having an inlet opening, an outlet opening, and a contact tank cover, the contact tank cover having a chlorinator opening and a dechlorinator opening;
• F) the dechlorinator comprising a dechlorination tablet feeder, a dechlorination tablet feeder supporter having an outlet connector, and a second feeder housing;
• G) the chlorine tablet feeder supporter being located inside the contact tank and attached to the inlet opening;
• H) the chlorine tablet feeder holding at least one stacked chlorination tablet, resting atop the chlorine tablet feeder supporter, having a plurality of openings to allow the passage of fluid through the chlorine tablet feeder, and protruding from the chlorinator opening;
• I) the first feeder housing having an open top end and being attached to the chlorinator opening outside the contact tank and enclosing the chlorine tablet feeder;
• J) the dechlorination tablet feeder supporter being located inside the contact tank and attached to the outlet opening;
• K) the dechlorination tablet feeder holding at least one stacked dechlorination tablet, resting atop the dechlorination tablet feeder supporter, having a plurality of openings to allow the passage of fluid through the dechlorination tablet feeder, and protruding from the dechlorinator opening;
• L) the second feeder housing having an open top end and being attached to the dechlorinator opening outside the contact tank and enclosing the dechlorination tablet feeder;
• M) the contact tank further comprising a divider means for separating the contact tank into a first contact chamber and a second contact chamber, the divider means extending downwardly from the upper end of the contact tank between the chlorinator and the dechlorinator to the lower end of the contact tank;
• N) the divider means having an opening proximate the lower end of the contact tank which provides a sole passage for fluids between the first contact chamber and the second contact chamber;
• O) a continuous fluid passage being provided from the inlet opening, through the chlorine tablet feeder, into the first contact chamber, through the opening in the divider means, to the second contact chamber, through the dechlorination tablet feeder, and to the outlet opening;
• P) the length to width ratio of the fluid path within the contact tank being no less than about ten to one;
• Q) the chlorine feeder base having a notched weir providing a fluid passage between the chlorine tablet feeder and the first contact chamber;
• and
• R) the outlet connector of the dechlorination tablet feeder supporter having a weir plate, the weir plate having a notched weir providing a fluid passage between the dechlorination tablet feeder and the outlet opening.