Collector sump cooling tower

A cooling apparatus comprising:

• a single non-partitioned above grade cooling tower evaporative fill adapted to receive and cool heat rejection water;
• a below grade sump segmented into a first section and a second section;
• said first sump section, in communication with said evaporative fill, adapted to receive water from a system that requires said water to be cooled;
• said second sump section positioned adjacent to said first sump section adapted to limit receipt of water to an element selected from a group consisting of:
• cooled water from said evaporative tower fill, and warm water from said first sump section, and combinations thereof;
• water return from an external supply adapted to be delivered below grade to and stored in said first sump section;
• a partition adapted to separate said first sump section from said second sump section, said partition having a height less than an exterior wall of said sump sections;
• and
• excess water return from said first sump section adapted to pass over said partition to said second sump section.