Systems and methods for water treatment and remediation

• US 8,246,829 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2008
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Patrick T O'Regan Jr
• Original Assignee: Patrick T O'Regan Jr
• Inventors: O'Regan, Patrick T. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARRY, CHESTER T
• Application Number:
  US12/599,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20100155328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 210/605, 210/630, 210620-628, 210/614, 210/143
• US Class Current: 210/605
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/04 by distillation or evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/32 with ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/441 by reverse osmosis
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/5236 using inorganic agents
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 11/04 Anaerobic treatment; Production of methane by such processes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/05 Conductivity or salinity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/11 Turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/15 N03-N
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/18 PO4-P
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/19 SO4-S
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/006 Regulation methods for biological treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/30 Aerobic and anaerobic processes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/00 Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/10 Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 using solar energy

Abstract

A modularizable system for residential water treatment having a low energy requirement to process water for reuse at the residence which results in a reduction in the amount of fossil fuels required to power large water processing stations and transfer water from water plants to individual residences is disclosed. The system increases availability of water at the residential level in areas where water is a limited or limiting resource (e.g., in arid climates). Furthermore, the amount of water a residence uses in a given cycle is more efficient.

Claims

1. A water treatment system comprising:

a settlement tank adaptable to receive effluent from a source;

at least one aerobic treatment tank configurable to receive a settlement tank effluent;

a tester configurable to test a parameter wherein the tester is configurable to test one or more of total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, temperature, color, turbidity, hardness, sediments, acidity, basicity, calcium concentration, magnesium concentration, carbonate concentration, chloride concentration, sulphate concentration, sodium, absorption ratio, boron concentration, trace metal concentration, heavy metal concentration, nitrate-nitrogen concentration, phosphate-phosphorus concentration, potassium concentration, pharmaceutical compound, hormone, and metabolic by-products; and

a controller configurable to control a process of the water treatment system in real-time at one or more locations and one or more times during processing in response to the tested parameter; and

a treated and tested water output of the treatment system suitable for on-site reuse.

2. The water treatment system of claim 1 wherein the anaerobic treatment tank is in communication with an anaerobic digester.

3. The water treatment system of claim 1 wherein the tester is controlled by a timer and is configurable to test at a time interval.

4. The water treatment system of claim 1 wherein the tester is configurable to provide real-time testing data to the controller.

15. The water treatment system of claim 1 wherein the anaerobic digester receives sludge from the anaerobic treatment tank.

16. The water treatment system of claim 1 wherein a parameter of anaerobic bacterial activity is sensed by the tester.

17. The water treatment system of claim 1 wherein the bacterial activity is adjusted by a controller in response to the sensed parameter.

18. The water treatment system of claim 1 wherein further comprising an aeration source wherein the aeration source is configurable to deliver an aeration substance selected from the group comprising:

air, purified oxygen, and ozone.

19. The water treatment system of claim 18 wherein the rate at which the aeration source delivers the aeration substance is controlled by a regulator.

20. The water treatment system of claim 19 wherein a parameter of the aeration tank is sensed by the tester.

21. The water treatment system of claim 19 wherein the rate at which the aeration substance is controlled is determined in response to a parameter measured by the tester.

22. The water treatment system of claim 1 further comprising a disinfector wherein the disinfector is one or more of an ozonator, an ultraviolet light source, a heat source, a distillation system, a reverse osmosis system, and/or a chemical treatment processor and further wherein the disinfector is activated in response to a parameter measured by the tester.

5. A water treatment method comprising:

receiving an effluent from a source and delivering the effluent into a settlement tank;

aerobically treating the effluent received from the source in an aerobic treatment tank configured to receive a settlement tank effluent;

testing a parameter of the aerobically treated effluent with a tester configurable to test one or more of total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, temperature, color, turbidity, hardness, sediments, acidity, basicity, calcium concentration, magnesium concentration, sodium concentration, carbonate concentration, chloride concentration, sulphate concentration, sodium absorption ration, boron concentration, trace metal concentration, heavy metal concentration, nitrate-nitrogen concentration, phosphate-phosphorus concentration, potassium concentration, pharmaceutical compound, hormones, and metabolic by-products, wherein the tester is one or more of controlled by a timer and is configurable to test at a time interval configurable to provide real-time testing data to the controller;

performing a real-time adjustment of the aerobic treatment process of the effluent in response to a result of the tested parameter received by the controller from the tester;

regulating the water treatment process at one or more locations and times during processing; and

achieving water quality sufficient to enable local re-use of the treated water from the system.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of anaerobically treating the effluent from the source.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of adding a reaction controlling substance.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of adding a reaction controlling substance is in response to the result of the tested parameter.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising a filtration step prior to the step of achieving water quality sufficient to enable local re-use of the treated water.

10. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of sterilization prior to the step of achieving water quality sufficient to enable local re-use of the treated water.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the sterilization step is selected from an ozonator, a UV light source, a heat source, a distillation system, a reverse osmosis system, and/or a chemical treatment processor.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of sterilization includes selecting more than one sterilization process and performing the sterilization in sequence, in parallel, or selectively in response to a tested parameter.

13. The method of claim 5 further comprising testing an output from the system.

14. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of separating the effluent received from a source.