Apparatus and method for removing impurities from water or wastewater

An apparatus for removing impurities from a liquid to be treated, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a chamber for receiving a liquid to be treated, said chamber having a plurality of settling members, said plurality of settling members forming a plurality of inclined liquid passageways through which the liquid to be treated is directed to cause impurities to settle out of the liquid to be treated, said plurality of settling members having an angle of inclination between zero degrees and ninety degrees;
• and,
• (b) an automatic cleaning unit operably associated with at least one of said plurality of settling members to automatically remove impurities on at least a portion of said at least one of said plurality of settling members without changing said angle of inclination of said at least one of said plurality of settling members;
• and,
• (c) said automatic cleaning unit including a grid, said grid includes a first member and a second member, said first member and said second member extending substantially horizontally, said first member and second member extending substantially parallel to said plurality of settling members, said first member and said second member extending substantially the entire width of each of said plurality of settling members, said grid further includes at least one substantially vertically extending transmission member operably connected to at least one end of each of said first member and said second member, said grid further includes a third member, said third member extending substantially horizontally, said third member being connected to said first member and said second member.

An apparatus for removing impurities from a liquid to be treated, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a chamber for receiving a liquid to be treated, said chamber having a plurality of settling members, said plurality of settling members forming a plurality of inclined liquid passageways through which the liquid to be treated is directed to cause impurities to settle out of the liquid to be treated, said plurality of settling members having a predetermined orientation during clarification;
• (b) an automatic cleaning unit operably associated with at least one of said plurality of settling members to automatically remove impurities on at least a portion of said at least one of said plurality of settling members without changing said predetermined orientation of said at least one of said plurality of settling members;
• and,
• (c) said automatic cleaning unit including a grid, said grid includes a first member and a second member, said first member and said second member extending substantially horizontally, said first member extending substantially parallel to said plurality of settling members, said first member being connected to said second member and extending substantially perpendicular to said second member, said first member having first and second ends, said first end being disposed adjacent one side of at least one of said plurality of settling members, said second end being disposed adjacent an opposite side of said at least one of said plurality of settling members, said grid further includes a first transmission leg, said first transmission leg extending substantially vertically and downwardly from said first end of said first member, said grid further includes a second transmission leg, said second transmission leg extending substantially vertically and downwardly from said second end of said first member, said first transmission leg being spaced from said second transmission leg.