Purification apparatus for contaminated water employing high-voltage DC pulse and subsequent low-voltage DC field

An apparatus for purifying contaminated water containing contaminants selected from the group consisting of cyanotoxins, bacteria, viruses, parasites, positively and negatively charged ions, comprising:

• a reactants tank arranged to receive said water, said reactants tank further including at least two electrodes located in a lower portion thereof, a first valve and a first outflow port located near mid-height of said reactants tank, and a second valve and a second outflow port located at a bottom of said reactants tank,
• an electrical source,
• a controller connected to said electrical source and said electrodes,
• said controller arranged to produce a short-duration, relatively high direct-current voltage shock pulse between said electrodes while said quantity of water is in said tank, said shock pulse being high enough to substantially destroy said cyanotoxins, said bacteria, said viruses, and said parasites,
• said controller also arranged to produce a long-duration, relatively low direct-current voltage between said electrodes while said quantity of water is in said tank so that one of said two electrodes receiving said direct-current voltage is negatively polarized and the other of said two electrodes receiving said direct-current voltage is positively polarized, said low-voltage being sufficient to substantially sequester positively charged ions near said negatively charged electrode and negatively charged ions near said positively charged electrode,
• said first valve arranged to drain said water from the upper portion of said reactants tank via said first outlet port to obtain potable water,
• said second valve in said second output port arranged to discard said water containing said sequestered positively charged ions and said sequestered negatively charged ions, and
• a sand filter preceding said reactants tank for filtering said contaminated water before said contaminated water fills said reactants tank,
• whereby said reactants tank can be filled with said contaminated water and said cyanotoxins, said bacteria, said viruses, and said parasites will be destroyed and said ions will be separated, thereby providing potable water for drinking at said first outlet port and ion-rich water for disposal at said second outlet port.

An apparatus for purifying water containing contaminants selected from the group consisting of cyanotoxins, bacteria, viruses, parasites, positively and negatively charged ions, comprising:

• a storage tank for storing contaminated water, said storage tank having an outflow port with a valve for holding or releasing said contaminated water,
• a reactants chamber arranged to receive said water from said first outflow port of said storage tank,
• said reactants chamber further including a first outflow port with a valve at mid-height for delivering potable water from said reactants chamber, a second outflow port at the bottom of said reactants chamber, second outflow port having a valve, and at least two electrodes located in a lower portion of said reactants chamber,
• a voltage source and a controller arranged to supply a first electric voltage to said electrodes so as to create a first electric pulse between said electrodes while said water is in said reactants tank, said electric pulse having a relatively high voltage and short duration and creating an electric field between said electrodes that is intense and persistent enough to substantially destroy cyanotoxins, bacteria, viruses, and parasites in said chamber,
• said controller also arranged to apply a second electric voltage to said electrodes while said water is in said reactants tank after said first electric pulse is terminated, said second electric voltage being arranged to cause one of said two electrodes to be negatively polarized and the other of said two electrodes to be positively polarized, said second electric voltage having a relatively long-duration and a relatively low voltage, said low-voltage being sufficient to substantially sequester positively charged ions near said negatively charged electrode and negatively charged ions near said positively charged electrode, and
• a sand filter, said sand filter having an upper end arranged to receive said contaminated water from said storage tank, said sand filter further having a lower end including an outflow port for releasing said water into said reactants chamber after passage through said sand filter,
• whereby said contaminated water is stored in said storage tank, then said water is delivered into said reactants chamber where voltage from said source, controlled by said controller, is delivered to said electrodes for treating said water, then said treated water is delivered from said first outflow port of said reactants chamber while said remaining water in said reactants chamber is discarded through said second outflow port of said reactants chamber.