Abstract:
A water pollution remediation system includes a plurality of decontamination modules that are self supporting and interconnectable for sequentially removing a plurality of different contaminants. The modules are designed to be independently transportable to a ship for decontaminating bilge water, in particular, after a fire when a foaming fire suppressant composition has been introduced into the bilge water. The modules may be placed on the deck of the ship, connected together and powered by the ship&#39;s hydraulic, electric and bilge pumping systems to provide comprehensive decontamination.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a system for treating bilge water that has been contaminated by wastewater generated by ship-board fire-fighting operations. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various types of contaminants are found in the ballast and bilge water of ships as the result of routine on-board ship operations including, but not limited to, equipment and deck cleaning, laundry cleaning, food preparation and the use of on-board showers and sinks. These routine operations cause contamination of the bilge water with various size particles of dirt and rock, oil and detergents. Detergents typically include a combination of organic compounds, volatile organic compounds and halogens. In addition to the foregoing routine activities, fires and associated fire-fighting activities occasionally occur on-board requiring the use of firehoses through which are ejected high volumes of water that drains into the ship bilges. Water used to suppress fires washes significant volumes of the combustibles (upon which it is sprayed to put the fire out) down to the bilge, including petrochemical fuels, paint residues and any of the various cargo or byproducts of their combustion that may be carried on ships. In addition, firefighting water frequently is augmented with foaming fire suppressant chemical compositions, such as aqueous film-forming foams (“AFFF”). AFFF is a well-known, water soluble mixture of fluorochemical surfactants, hydrocarbon surfactants and solvents. AFFF is often provided in a 3% solution with water specifically for use in fighting fires in many environments, including on board ships. 
     Accordingly, routine ship-board operations, as well as accidents, spills and fire-fighting activities, result in the presence of an almost unlimited variety of chemical contaminants to be present in bilge water, including benzene, toluene, ethylene, xylene, oil, grease, chloroform, nitrates, nitrogen, lead, zinc, cadmium, tin, mercury, nickel, copper, arsenic, selenium, chromium, diethylene glycol butyl ether, sodium nitrate, triethanolamine, and 1H-benzotriazole. The discharge of wastewater containing the foregoing contaminants into the ocean, or into land-based treatment facilities, is strictly regulated by federal and state governmental agencies, as well as by foreign countries and the international community. Accordingly, there has been a need for processes and systems that remove such contaminants from shipboard wastewater and which are compact and lightweight enough to be operated on-board ships. 
     As the result of the above-described circumstances, various on-board wastewater treatment systems have been developed, some of which tend to focus on certain categories of contaminants. For example, the bilge water treatment system that is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,545 focuses on the separation of oil from bilge water. U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,346 discloses a system that utilizes cyclones to physically separate oil from wastewater during oil spill cleanup operations. 
     The ship-board system disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,976 focuses on the removal of oil, grease, and insoluble solids from contaminated bilge and wastewater and discloses a filtration system suitable for use on small ships to treat wastewater containing an emulsion of water, oil or fat, an emulsifying agent and insoluble solid material. While the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,976 mentions that detergents are introduced into ship ballast tanks and bilges from fire foams and other sources, the purpose of the filtration system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,976 is to remove only the insoluble solids and the oil, leaving the detergents and firefighting foam contaminants in the wastewater. In addition, it can be noted that since the date of issue of U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,976, wastewater discharge regulations have become more stringent, resulting in a need for a process that can also remove the detergent chemicals, as well as a greater portion of the solids, oils and other contaminants. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,445, on the other hand, discloses a system that is designed to treat on-board wastewater that is contaminated with sewage-type waste (i.e, “black water”), as well as by wastewater from showers, kitchen facilities, etc. (i.e., “grey water”). U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,445 is directed to installations on small ships that are primarily focused on reducing biological oxygen demand (BOD), suspended solids (SS), coliform bacteria, as well as other debris and larger solids. 
     Similarly, the method and apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,253 are designed to remove biological contaminants, in addition to oil and grease, from shipboard waste or bilge water. The method of U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,253 combines on-board black water (raw sewage), grey water (wastewater from showers, kitchen facilities, etc.) and bilge water (containing oil and grease) in an aerated, on-board membrane-bioreactor system where microbes digest the various biological, organic and oily contaminants. 
     In contrast to the above-described bioreactor system, U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,112 discloses an on-board method and apparatus to kill unwanted aerobic and anaerobic microbes in bilge water by alternately removing and introducing oxygen into the wastewater. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,679 discloses a method to decontaminate bilge water that is contaminated with citric acid, triethanolamine and heavy metals. Such contamination occurs when cleaning agents, commonly consisting of solutions of citric acid and triethanolamine, are used to remove old paint and rust from bilges. More specifically, the method of U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,679 treats such contaminated bilge water with hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet light in the presence of a ferrous ion catalyst, which results in the destruction and decomposition of citric acid and triethanolamine. The chemical decomposition of citric acid and triethanolamine, in turn, prevents the heavy metal contaminants from forming chelated compounds, thereby permitting their subsequent removal by conventional precipitation methods involving pH-adjusting methods. 
     Notwithstanding the development of the foregoing on-board wastewater treatment systems, there remains a need for a bilge water treatment system that can more effectively remove or reduce a greater variety of contaminants from contaminated bilge water. For example, known bilge water treatment systems do not remove AFFF or its chemical constituents. Furthermore, the above-discussed wastewater treatment systems do not remove multiple categories of contaminants, i.e., solids, AFFF constituents, organic and volatile organic contaminants, solvents, oil and metals, but are more narrowly focused to treat or remove a more specific category of contaminants. In addition, the concentration and variety of contaminants that must be removed from wastewater, prior to legal discharge or disposal is significantly greater than it was just five or ten years ago, due to more stringent regulatory standards. Accordingly, there is a need for a comprehensive wastewater treatment system that removes, or reduces to acceptable levels, multiple categories of contaminants, but that is still highly portable and easily assembled for operation on board ships. As described hereinafter, the present invention addresses the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The problems and disadvantages associated with known apparatus and methods for decontaminating water at a site of a reservoir holding contaminated water are solved by the apparatus of the present invention which includes a plurality of water processing modules, each having an independent support structure for holding at least one associated water processing device in an position suitable for transport to and operation at the site of the reservoir holding the contaminated water. The at least one associated water processing device of each of the plurality of modules is selectively and removeably hydraulically connectable to another of the associated water processing devices to define a continuous flow path extending from an inlet to the apparatus into which contaminated water flows, through said apparatus to an outlet from which decontaminated water is discharged. Each of the at least one associated water processing devices has an associated decontamination function for at least partially removing a contaminant from a flow of the contaminated water passed sequentially through the of modules along the flow path. 
     The method of the present invention for removing various contaminants from a volume of contaminated water contained in a reservoir, comprises the steps of providing a plurality of water processing modules, each having an independent support structure for holding at least one associated water processing device in a position that is suitable for transport to, and operation at, the site of the reservoir holding the contaminated water, the associated water processing device of each of the modules being selectively and removeably hydraulically connectable to another associated water processing device of another of the modules to define a continuous flow path extending from an inlet of the apparatus, into which contaminated water flows, through the apparatus, to an outlet from which decontaminated water is discharged, each of the associated water processing devices having an associated decontamination function for at least partially removing a contaminant from a flow of the contaminated water passed sequentially through the plurality of modules along the flow path; transporting the plurality of modules to a position proximate to the reservoir; placing the modules on a support surface in a selected relative juxtaposition; connecting the water processing devices to configure the flow path; operating the apparatus to remove contaminants from the contaminated water; disconnecting the water processing devices; and removing the modules from the site. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a wastewater decontamination system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, showing the major components of the system; 
     FIG. 2A is a top plan view of the first module of the system of FIG. 1, showing the arrangement of the system components therein; 
     FIG. 2B is an elevational side view of the first module shown in FIG. 2A; 
     FIG. 3A is a top plan view of the second module of the system of FIG. 1, showing the arrangement of the system components therein; 
     FIG. 3B is an elevational side view of the second module shown in FIG. 3A; 
     FIG. 4A is a top plan view of the third module of the system of FIG. 1, showing the arrangement of the system components therein; 
     FIG. 4B is an elevational side view of the third module shown in FIG. 4A; 
     FIG. 5A is a top plan view of the fourth module of the system of FIG. 1, showing the arrangement of the system components therein; 
     FIG. 5B is an elevational side view of the fourth module shown in FIG. 5A; 
     FIG. 6A is a top plan view of the fifth module of the system of FIG. 1, showing the arrangement of the system components therein; 
     FIG. 6B is an elevational side view of the fifth module shown in FIG. 6A; 
     FIG. 7A is a top plan view of the sixth module of the system of FIG. 1, showing the arrangement of the system components therein; and 
     FIG. 7B is an elevational side view of the sixth module shown in FIG.  7 A. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While the present invention has wide applicability for the treatment and/or decontamination of wastewater from many sources in various locations, it is especially suitable for the ship-board treatment and decontamination of bilge water that has been contaminated by shipboard operations, including but not limited to on-board firefighting activities. Accordingly, the present invention will be described hereinafter in connection with a water treatment system that is designed to be portable, easily and quickly assembled and operated on-board a ship for the purpose of decontaminating bilge water that has been contaminated by firefighting activities, as well as other more routine ship-board activities such as cleaning, cooking, showering, etc. It is intended to be understood that the present invention may also be adapted for the treatment and/or decontamination of wastewater on ships of various sizes, as well as for decontaminating wastewater delivered from ships to land-based water treatment facilities or decontaminating wastewater from various land-based sources. 
     In addition, although it is envisioned that the present invention will exist initially in a disassembled state prior to deployment ship-board, to facilitate an understanding of the overall structure and inter-relationship of the various components of the present invention, the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment is a description of the apparatus of the present invention in its assembled state. Thereafter, a discussion is provided of the organization of the various components that facilitate quick and easy assembly and disassembly of the apparatus, which organization is considered part of the present invention. Lastly, a description of the operation of the apparatus of the present invention is provided. 
     General Characteristics of the Present Invention 
     With reference to FIG. 1, a schematic representation of the bilge water decontamination system  10  of the present invention is provided to show the sequential and associative organization of the components of the present invention. The system  10  is designed to operate as a batch process system with the capacity to process and decontaminate up to one million gallons of bilge water within approximately three and a half days of continuous operation. Furthermore, the system  10  is designed to decontaminate the bilge water by removing or reducing specific contaminants such that any quantities remaining in the bilge water will meet or exceed the open water discharge standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as of the year 2000. As will be explained in further detail below, the components of the system  10  are organized and grouped in a manner that achieves the sequential removal or reduction of certain categories of contaminants from the bilge water. 
     It should be noted that the components that are included in the system  10  are generally conventional, well-known and commercially available physical and chemical processing apparatus. In general, the preferred embodiment of the system  10  is designed for an overall system flow rate of two hundred U.S. gallons per minute (200 USGPM), a system pressure of up to one hundred pounds per square inch (100 psi) and a system temperature of up to one hundred degrees Fahrenheit (100° F.). Additionally, with specific reference to the preferred embodiment described hereinafter, all of the piping and valve equipment that is included in the system  10  meets the U.S. Coast Guard and A.B.S. Rules for Class II piping, as well as in accordance with the American National Standards Institute / ASME Code B31.1 standards. The vessels, such as the tanks and filter housings described below and which are included in the preferred embodiment of the system  10 , are designed in accordance with ASME Section VIII Div. 1 specifications. Lastly, all electrical connections and components utilized in the system  10  are explosion proof with a rating of NEMA 7 (National Electrical Manufacturers Association classification 7). 
     Major Components of the Present Invention 
     With reference still to FIG. 1, the structure of the system  10  will now be discussed. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the system  10  includes a control panel  12  having an input power line  14 . The control panel  12  is designed for 110/220 volts at 50/60 hertz, single phase. The control panel  12  is also connected by electrical lines to a number of other parts of the system  10 , as will be discussed in due course hereinafter. 
     The system  10  has an inlet conduit  16  with an open end  18  that is connected to the ship&#39;s pumping system, for pumping the contaminated bilge water into the system  10 . The inlet conduit  16  preferably has an outer diameter of approximately four inches, is made of schedule  40  stainless steel and discharges into a conventional strainer  20 . In general, it is preferred that all conduits (piping) connecting the various components of the system  10  be fabricated from corrosion-resistant material. The conduit dimensions are selected to match the flow rate required. 
     A pressure gauge  22  is connected to the inlet conduit  16 , proximate to the open end  18  thereof, for the purpose of measuring the system inlet pressure. An air solenoid valve  24  is also provided on the inlet conduit  16  downstream of, but proximate to, the pressure gauge  22  for the purpose of regulating the flow rate of the bilge water into the system  10 . 
     The strainer  20  is a conventional four-inch duplex basket type strainer, Model 51, that is publicly available from commercial suppliers such as Hayward Industrial Products of Elizabeth, N.J. The strainer  20  removes large solids, such as rocks and other debris, of approximately one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter or larger, from the bilge water. The strainer  20  discharges into a separator conduit  26 , which is attached to the inlet of a conventional centrifugal oil-water separator  28 . A throttle valve  30  is attached to the separator conduit  26 , proximate to the strainer  20 , for the purpose of controlling the flow rate of the bilge water out of the strainer  20 . A totalizer/flowmeter  32  is also attached to the separator conduit  26 , downstream of the throttle valve  30 , for measuring the flow rate of the bilge water after it passes through the throttle valve  30  and before it enters the oil-water separator  28 . 
     While not specifically shown to avoid an overly complicated diagram, all electrically controllable valves and system monitoring components, such as the totalizer/flowmeter  32 , may be connected to the control panel  12  for centralized monitoring and control. Control of the system  10  may also be handled programmatically, in whole or in part, by a computer. Because the system  10  processes volatile compounds, hydraulic or compressed air actuators and controls may be interposed between electric controls and the controlled components to avoid fires. 
     The oil-water separator  28  is a conventional centrifugal type phase separator and removes the majority of the oil (e.g., lubricating oil, diesel fuel, gasoline, grease, as well as lighter hydrocarbons, such as benzene, toluene, ethylene and xylene) from the bilge water. For example, an centrifugal oil-water separator known as Model V-20, which is publicly available from CINC of Carson City, Nev., is used in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but any similar oil-water separator can be used. A hydraulic motor  34  powers the oil-water separator  28  and can be detached from the oil-water separator  28  during transportation, as will be discussed in further detail hereinafter. The oil-water separator  28  has a first outlet (not shown) discharging to an oily waste conduit  36  connected thereto for conducting the waste oil (i.e., light phase liquid) to an oil waste tank for storage and later disposal (not shown). The oily waste conduit  36  has a vent  38  to prevent the dangerous accumulation of volatile organic vapors. The oil-water separator  28  is also provided with a second outlet (not shown) for discharging the bilge water (the heavy phase liquid) to the having a short conduit  40  connected thereto. 
     A flexible conduit  42  is connected to the conduit  40  to conduct the substantially oil-free bilge water away from the oil-water separator  28  and to the next processing component. The flexible conduit  42  is preferably made of marine grade cargo rubber hose and has a diameter of approximately four inches. While a rigid conduit could be employed, e.g., for the conduit  42 , the use of a flexible conduit allows the various modular subassemblies (which are described in further detail hereinafter) to be more readily connected with greater freedom as to their relative juxtaposition, proximity and orientation. Given that the system  10  will be used on various ships, having different deck topologies and designs, the freedom to arrange the modular subassemblies in a variety of configurations is particularly beneficial. A vent  44  is provided proximate to where the conduit  40  and the flexible conduit  42  are connected to one another, for the purpose of preventing the dangerous accumulation of volatile organic vapors within the conduits  40 ,  42 . 
     Flexible conduit  42  connects to the inlet of a conventional atmospheric transfer tank  46 , e.g., a five hundred gallon tank, having a diameter of approximately forty-eight inches, which is commercially available from Sigma Design, Inc. of Springfield, N.J. A hydro-sieve  47  is positioned and attached inside the transfer tank  46 , at the inlet thereof, such that as the bilge water exits the flexible conduit  42 , it must pass through the hydro-sieve  47 , preferably perpendicular thereto, before entering the transfer tank  46 . The hydro-sieve  47  is configured to conform to the inlet of the transfer tank  46  and is disposed at an angle of approximately sixty degrees above the horizontal direction, which is defined as being parallel to the horizon. The hydro-sieve  47  is publicly available from Sigma Design, Inc. of Springfield, N.J. It is further noted that the hydro-sieve  47  is made of conventional stainless steel well screen material that is publicly available from Leem Filtration of Mahwah, N.J. The purpose of the hydro-sieve  47  is to encourage any foaming or emulsion agents in the bilge water to emulsify into foam on the hydro-sieve  47 , as well as to remove additional suspended solids from the bilge water. The resulting foam is then removed from the hydro-sieve  47  by gravity and collected in a collection container (not shown) that is positioned proximate to the inlet of the transfer tank  46  for the purposing of catching the foam. Depending upon where the ship is located, e.g., on the open ocean, environmental laws may permit the foam to be jettisoned overboard. 
     The transfer tank  46  discharges to conduit  48 , which communicates with a transfer pump  50 . The transfer pump  50  is powered by a hydraulic motor  52  controlled by a solenoid valve  54 , which regulates the supply of hydraulic power to the hydraulic motor  52 . A valve  56  on the conduit  48  controls the flow rate of the bilge water entering the transfer pump  50  from the transfer tank  46 . The transfer tank  46  has a vent  58  to prevent the accumulation of volatile organic vapors within the transfer tank  46 . 
     The transfer tank  46  has a high level switch  60  and a low level switch  62 , each of which are depicted schematically by boxes in dofted lines and which detect the level of bilge water in the transfer tank  46  during operation of the system  10 . The high and low level switches  60 ,  62  are connected by an electrical line  64  to the control panel  12 . (The air solenoid valve  24  on the inlet conduit  16  and the solenoid valve  54  on the hydraulic motor  52  of the transfer pump  50  are also each connected by electrical lines  65 ,  66  to the control panel  12 .) As will be discussed in further detail hereinafter, the high level and low level switches  60 ,  62  signal the control panel  12  in the event the bilge water level in the transfer tank  46  exceeds or falls below predetermined safe levels. Based upon the information the control panel  12  receives from the high and low level switches  60 ,  62 , the control panel  12  signals the air solenoid valve  24  and the solenoid valve  54 , through the corresponding electrical lines  65 ,  66 , to open or close. 
     The transfer pump  50  discharges to an outlet conduit  68  having a pressure gauge  70  attached thereto, proximate to the outlet of the transfer pump  50 , for measuring the pump outlet pressure. A valve  72  is attached to the outlet conduit  68 , downstream of the pressure gauge  70 , for controlling the flow rate of the bilge water as it exits from the transfer pump  50 . 
     A flexible conduit  74  is connected by one end to the valve  72  and at its other end to a main filter conduit  76 , which branches out to two sub-conduits  78 ,  80  connected to a pair of conventional multi-bag filters  86 ,  88  that are arranged in parallel with one another. More particularly, the first sub-conduit  78  is connected to the inlet (not shown) of the upstream filter  86 . The second sub-conduit  80  is connected to the inlet of the downstream filter  88 . The sub-conduits  78 ,  80  each have an inlet control valve  82 ,  84  connected thereto for additional control of the flow rate of the bilge water into the filters  86 ,  88 . 
     The filters  86 ,  88  remove residual oil and particulates, having diameters of approximately 5 microns or larger, from the bilge water. More specifically, each filter  86 ,  88  is a multi-bag filter, such as a Loeffler filter Model MBF that is equipped with multiple 5 micron filter bags made of non-woven polypropylene and having an affinity for oil and light volatile organics, including benzene, toluene, ethylene and xylene. Such filter bags are commercially available, for example, from Hayward Industries, Inc. of Elizabeth, N.J. 
     Each of the filters  86 ,  88  discharges into a sub-conduit  90 ,  92 , respectively. A valve  94 ,  96  is connected to each sub-conduit  90 ,  92 , respectively, for controlling the flow rate of the bilge water exiting each of the filters  86 ,  88  and discharging into a filter outlet conduit  98 . A conventional oil in water sensor  100 , such Model BA-200 from Inventive Systems, Inc. of Lexington Park, Md., is connected to the filter outlet conduit  98  downstream of the sub-conduits  90 ,  92 . The oil in water sensor  100  measures the oil content, in parts per million (ppm), of the bilge water as it exits from the filters  86 ,  88 . 
     A conventional differential pressure gauge  102  is connected, by small feed lines  104 ,  106 , bridging the main filter conduit  76  and the filter outlet conduit  98 , as follows. The feed lines  104 ,  106  preferably each have a diameter of approximately four inches inches. One feed line  104  is connected to the differential pressure gauge  102  and to the main filter conduit  76 , intermediate of the first and second sub-conduits  78 ,  80 . Another feed line  106  is connected to the differential pressure gauge  102  and to the filter outlet conduit  98 , intermediate sub-conduits  90 ,  92 . By the foregoing configuration, the differential pressure gauge  102  measures the pressure drop across the filters  86 ,  88  for the purpose of ascertaining when the filter media needs to be cleaned or changed. 
     A flexible conduit  108  the filter outlet conduit  98  to a main carbon tank inlet conduit  110  that branches into inlet conduits  112 ,  114 , each of which is connected to the inlet (not shown) of a conventional carbon adsorption tank  116 ,  118 . Each inlet conduit  112 ,  114  has a valve  120 ,  122  connected thereto, proximate to the carbon tanks  116 ,  118 , respectively, to control the flow rate of the bilge water into each of the carbon tanks  116 ,  118 . 
     The carbon tanks  116 ,  118  are conventional three thousand pound tanks that are commercially available, for example, from Calgon of Pittsburgh, Pa. and U.S. Filter of Warren, N.J. The carbon tanks  116 ,  118  are arranged in parallel with one another and remove additional residual volatile organic compounds, such as benzene, toluene, ethylene and xylene, from the bilge water by a conventional, well-known carbon adsorption process. 
     Each carbon tank  116 ,  118  discharges into a short conduit  124 ,  126 , respectively. A valve  128 ,  130  is connected to each short conduit  124 ,  126 , respectively, to control the flow rate of the bilge water exiting each carbon tank  116 ,  118 , respectively. The downstream ends of the short conduits  124 ,  126  converge into a booster pump conduit  132 , which connects to a booster pump  134  that is powered by a hydraulic motor (not shown). The booster pump  134  discharges into a pump outlet conduit  136  which has a pressure gauge  138  connected thereto for the purpose of measuring the booster pump outlet pressure. A valve  140  on the pump outlet conduit  136  controls the flow rate of the bilge water exiting the booster pump  134 . 
     A flexible conduit  142  connects the pump outlet conduit  136  to a downstream resin tank conduit  144 . Intermediate of the ends of the flexible conduit  142 , an upstream resin tank conduit  146  is connected thereto. The downstream resin tank conduit  144  is connected to a downstream pair of resin tanks  148 . The upstream resin tank conduit  146  is connected to an upstream pair of resin tanks  150 . Each resin tank conduit  144 ,  146  has a valve  152 ,  154 , respectively, connected thereto for controlling the flow rate of the bilge water into each corresponding pair of resin tanks  148 ,  150 . 
     The resin tanks  156 ,  158 ,  160 ,  162  are substantially identical to one another and are conventional three thousand pound tanks that are commercially available from U.S. Filter of Warren, N.J. The resin tanks  156 ,  158 ,  160 ,  162  contain anionic resin, which is also available from U.S. Filter, to remove heavy metals, such as lead, zinc, cadmium, tin, selenium, chromium, nickel and mercury, from the bilge water by a well-known, conventional cation/anion exchange process. 
     More particularly, the upstream resin tank conduit  146  is connected to the inlet (not shown) of the first resin tank  160  of the upstream pair of resin tanks  150 . The outlet (not shown) of the first resin tank  160  has one end of an intermediate conduit  164  connected thereto. The other end of the intermediate conduit  164  is connected to the inlet (not shown) of the second resin tank  162  of the upstream pair of resin tanks  150 . The intermediate conduit  164  also has a valve  166  connected thereto for controlling the flow rate of the bilge water into the second resin tank  162 . A discharge conduit  168 , having a valve  170  connected thereto, is connected to the outlet (not shown) of the second resin tank  162 . The valve  170  controls the flow rate of the bilge water exiting from the upstream pair of resin tanks  150 . 
     Similar to the arrangement of the upstream pair of resin tanks  150 , the downstream resin tank conduit  144  is connected to the inlet (not shown) of the first resin tank  156  of the downstream pair of resin tanks  148 . The outlet (not shown) of the first resin tank  156  has one end of an intermediate conduit  172  connected thereto. The other end of the intermediate conduit  172  is connected to the inlet (not shown) of the second resin tank  158  of the downstream pair of resin tanks  148 . The intermediate conduit  172  also has a valve  174  connected thereto for controlling the flow rate of the bilge water into the second resin tank  158 . A discharge conduit  176 , having a valve  178  connected thereto, is connected to the outlet (not shown) of the second resin tank  158 . The valve  178  controls the flow rate of the bilge water exiting from the downstream pair of resin tanks  148 . 
     Each resin tank  156 ,  158 ,  160 ,  162  within the downstream and upstream pair of resin tanks  148 ,  150 , respectively, is arranged in series with one another. The pairs of resin tanks  148 ,  150  are, however, arranged in parallel with one another. By this arrangement, the size of the resin tanks  156 ,  158 ,  160 ,  162  required can be reduced since each pair of resin tanks  148 ,  150  is required to process a bilge water stream comprising only approximately one half of the overall system flow rate. Nonetheless, since the resin tanks  156 ,  158 ,  160 ,  162  within each pair of resin tanks  148 ,  150  respectively, are arranged in series, each stream of bilge water will be exposed to the cation/anion exchange process twice before leaving the system  10 . 
     Associative Organization of the Components of the Present Invention 
     Having described the sequential organization of the apparatus of the present invention, the associative organization of the apparatus will now be discussed. Referring still to FIG. 1, the components of the system  10  are grouped into six modules  180 ,  182 ,  184 ,  186 ,  188 ,  190 , shown by the dofted lines. The portability and ease of assembly of the system  10  is facilitated by the associative organization of the components into the modules  180 ,  182 ,  184 ,  186 ,  188 ,  190 , as well as the selection of components of predetermined sizes. For example, each of the modules  180 ,  182 ,  184 ,  186 ,  188 ,  190  is sized and shaped to allow shipment as regular commercial air cargo. A description of the organization, sizing and functioning of each of the modules  180 ,  182 ,  184 ,  186 ,  188 ,  190  follows. 
     FIGS. 2A-7B show the modules  180 ,  182 ,  184 ,  186 ,  188 ,  190  of the system  10  of the present invention, in somewhat more realistic form so as to demonstrate the arrangement of each of the major components within the modules  180 ,  182 ,  184 ,  186 ,  188 ,  190 . Where the components that are shown in FIGS. 2A-7B are the same as those already shown in FIG. 1, such features are labeled having the same reference numbers as in FIG.  1 . 
     Referring now specifically to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the first module  180  includes the control panel  12 , the strainer  20 , the separator conduit  26  and the oil-water separator  28 . These components are each mounted onto a skid  192  so they can be transported together as a unit, along with the hydraulic motor  34 , the conduits  16 ,  26 ,  36 ,  40 , the pressure gauge  22 , the valves  24 ,  30  and the totalizer/flowmeter  32  (shown schematically in FIG.  1 ). The hydraulic motor  34  that powers the oil-water separator  28  is stored during shipping or transit in a storage area  34   a  (see FIG. 2A) that is provided on the skid  192 . In FIG. 2B, the hydraulic motor  34  is shown in phantom assembled onto the oil-water separator  28 . While the specific dimensions of the first module  180  could be varied widely, one exemplary embodiment thereof has a skid  192  with a width of approximately sixty inches and a length of approximately seventy-six inches. When shipped, the example of the first module  180  can packed into a crate having the skid  192  as its base and having a height of approximately seventy-seven inches. 
     With reference now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the second module  182  includes the atmospheric transfer tank  46 , the transfer pump  50  and the hydraulic motor  52  (not shown). The atmospheric transfer tank  46 , the transfer pump  50  and the hydraulic motor  52  are each mounted onto a skid  194 , having a width of approximately sixty inches and a length of approximately eighty-five inches. The second module  182  also includes the high and low level switches  60 ,  62  of the transfer tank  46 , as well as the pump conduit  48 , the valves  54 ,  56 ,  72 , the pump outlet conduit  68  and the pressure gauge  70  (shown schematically in FIG.  1 ). When shipped, the second module  182  may be packed into a crate having the skid  194  as its base and having a height of approximately seventy-seven inches. 
     Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the third module  184  includes the resin tanks  86 ,  88  mounted side-by-side onto a skid  196 . The third module  184  also includes the main filter conduit  76 , the filter outlet conduit  98 , the sub-conduits  78 ,  80 ,  90 ,  92 , the valves  82 ,  84 ,  94 ,  96  and the oil in water sensor  100  (note: not all elements referred to are shown in FIGS.  4 A and  4 B). In addition, the third module  184  includes the differential pressure gauge  102  and the small feed lines  102  that connect the gauge  102  to the main filter conduit  76  and the filter outlet conduit  98  (shown schematically in FIG.  1 ). The third skid  196  has a width of approximately fifty-five inches and a length of approximately sixty-seven inches. When shipped, the third module  184  can be packed into a crate having the skid  196  as its base and having a height of approximately sixty inches. 
     With reference specifically now to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the forth module includes the carbon tanks  116 ,  118 , as well as the main carbon tank inlet conduit  110 , the short conduits  112 ,  114 ,  124 ,  126  and the valves  120 ,  122 ,  128 ,  130  (see FIG.  1 ). Each of the carbon tanks  116 ,  118  is mounted onto a skid  198 ,  200 , respectively, for easy transportation and shipping. Each skid  198 ,  200  is square-shaped with sides measuring approximately sixty inches each. The carbon tanks  116 ,  118 , mounted on the skids  198 ,  200 , are not typically shipped in crates. Furthermore, during installation and assembly of the system  10 , the carbon tanks  116 ,  118  are arranged side-by-side, about a foot apart, as shown in FIG. 5A, such that they cover an area of approximately five feet (sixty inches) by eleven feet (one hundred thirty-two inches). 
     The fifth module  188  is shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B and includes the booster pump  134  and a hose storage cabinet  202  for storing the flexible conduits  42 ,  74 ,  108 ,  142  and other items, as necessary. The fifth module  188  also includes the booster pump conduit  132 , the pump outlet conduit  136 , the pressure gauge  138  and the valve  140  (see FIG.  1 ). The booster pump  134  and the cabinet  202  are mounted onto a skid  204  that is approximately fifty-five inches wide and approximately sixty-seven inches long. When shipped, the fifth module  188  can be packed into a crate having the skid  204  as its base and having a height of approximately sixty inches. 
     With reference now to FIGS. 7A and 7B, the sixth module  190  of the system  10  includes the two pairs of resin tanks  148 ,  150 , along with the associated downstream and upstream resin tank conduits  144 ,  146 , the valves  152 ,  154 ,  174 ,  178 ,  166 ,  170 , the intermediate conduits  172 ,  164  and the discharge conduits  176 ,  170 . Each of the resin tanks  156 ,  158 ,  160 ,  162  is mounted to a separate skid  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  212 , to facilitate shipping and installation. Each of the skids  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  212  is square shaped and has sides of approximately forty-two inches in length. The resin tanks  156 ,  158 ,  160 ,  162 , mounted on the skids  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  212 , are not typically shipped in crates. Furthermore, during installation and assembly of the system  10 , the resin tanks  156 ,  158 ,  160 ,  162  are arranged in side-by-side pairs to form a small tank farm, as shown in FIG. 7A, such that they cover an area of approximately ten and a half feet square (i.e., approximately one hundred twenty-six inches by one hundred twenty-six inches). 
     Once the system  10  is shipped to the desired location and loaded onto a ship, the individual skids  192 ,  194 ,  196 ,  198 ,  200 ,  204 ,  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  212  must be arranged and connected to one another in the proper sequence, as described above in connection with FIGS. 1-7B, in order for the system  10  to be operable. Referring back to FIG. 1, as can be understood from the earlier description of the individual components of the system  10 , many of the conduits of the system  10  serve to connect the modules  180 ,  182 ,  184 ,  186 ,  188 ,  190  in the proper sequence to form a fluid circuit. By way of review, it should be noted that the flexible conduits  42 ,  74 , are used to connect the first, second and third modules  180 ,  182 ,  184  (each mounted on individual skids  192 ,  194 ,  196 ) to one another in sequence. The flexible conduit  108  connects the third module  184  (mounted on the skid  196 ) to the carbon tank  116  (mounted on the skid  198 ) of the fourth module  184 . Similarly, it should be noted that the carbon tanks  116 ,  118  (mounted on individual skids  198 ,  200 ) of the fourth module  186  are connected to one another by the main carbon tank inlet conduit  110 . The other carbon tank  118  (mounted on skid  200 ) of the fourth module  186  is connected to the fifth module  188  (mounted on skid  204 ) by the booster pump conduit  132 . Likewise, the flexible conduit  142  connects the fifth module  188  (mounted on skid  204 ) to the first resin tank  156 ,  160  (mounted on individual skids  206 ,  210 ) of each pair of resin tanks  148 ,  150  of the sixth module  190 . Lastly, the intermediate conduits  174 ,  164  connect the first resin tank  156 ,  160  (mounted on individual skids  206 ,  210 ) of each pair of resin tanks  148 ,  150  to the corresponding second resin tank  158 ,  162  (mounted on skids  208 ,  212 ) of each pair of resin tanks  148 ,  150 . 
     To facilitate the aforesaid sequential connection of the components on each of the skids  192 ,  194 ,  196 ,  198 ,  200 ,  204 ,  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  212 , during assembly of the system  10 , the components are provided with color- and number-coding. For example, to facilitate the connection of the flexible conduit  74  correctly with the second and third modules  182 ,  184 , red paint is applied to a small area on each end of the flexible conduit  74 , as well as on a small area of the outlet conduit  68  of the transfer pump  50  that is mounted on the skid  194  of the second module  182  and also on a small area of the upstream end of the main filter conduit  76  of the third module  184  (mounted on skid  196 ). In addition, if the ends of the flexible conduit  74  are not equally adapted to connecting to the outlet conduit  68  and the main filter conduit  76 , a numbering system or symbols can be utilized. For example, if one end of the flexible conduit  74  must be connected to the main filter conduit  76 , then a number or symbol can be affixed to the end of the flexible conduit  74 , as well as the upstream end of the main filter conduit  76 . Similar color- and number-coding can be applied throughout the system  10  to ensure that the components of the system will be properly, sequentially connected with one another. 
     Likewise, the connections between the hydraulic motors  34 ,  52  of the system  10  and the ship&#39;s hydraulic system, as well as the electrical connections between the control panel  12  and the various above-described electrical components and lines (e.g., the electrically controlled air solenoid valve  24 , the solenoid  54  of the transfer pump  50  and the high and low level switches  60 ,  62  of the transfer tank  46 ), can be color- and number-coded to ensure proper connections are established. 
     Having described above the most significant individual components of the system  10 , as well as their associative organization, the assembly, start-up and operation of the system  10  to decontaminate bilge water on board a ship will now be described. 
     Operation of the Present Invention 
     As explained above, the components of the system  10 , organized into modules  180 ,  182 ,  184 ,  186 ,  188 ,  190  and mounted onto the skids  192 ,  194 ,  196 ,  198 ,  200 ,  204 ,  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  212 , are sized such that they can be shipped as commercial air freight and easily loaded by conventional cargo cranes onto a ship where the system  10  is to be used. It should be noted that all ships have hydraulic and electrical systems that can be connected, in a known conventional manner, to the hydraulic and electrical components of the system  10  to provide hydraulic and electric power as necessary. For example, the hydraulic motor  52  of the transfer pump  50  can be connected to the ship&#39;s hydraulic power system and the control panel  12  may be powered by the electrical system of the ship. 
     The following description discusses the assembly of the system  10 . Once the system  10  has been delivered and loaded onto a ship, the skids  192 ,  194 ,  196 ,  198 ,  200 ,  204 ,  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  212  should be arranged on the ship, proximate to the aforementioned hydraulic and electrical power sources, as discussed above in connection with the modules  180 ,  182 ,  184 ,  186 ,  188 ,  190 . Then, the modules  180 ,  182 ,  184 ,  186 ,  188 ,  190  should be connected to one another, in the proper sequence described above in connection with FIGS. 1-7B, using the above-described color- and number-coding systems. Once the system  10  is delivered and properly assembled, the following start-up procedure is followed. 
     After all of the conduit, hydraulic and electrical connections are made, the power to the control panel  12  should be switched on. The totalizer./flowmeter  32  should be reset to zero. Before proceeding further, it should be confirmed that the inlet pressure is at least approximately forty psi, as measured by the pressure gauge  22  on the inlet conduit  16 . If the inlet pressure if forty psi or greater, the air solenoid valve  24  should be opened and the components of the first module  180  should be checked for leaks. 
     Once the foregoing steps have been taken, all of the remaining valves  30 ,  54 ,  56 ,  72 ,  82 ,  84 ,  94 ,  96 ,  120 ,  122 ,  128 ,  130 ,  140 ,  152 ,  154 ,  166 ,  170 ,  174 ,  178  of the system  10  should then be opened. The hydraulic power supply for the hydraulic motor  34  of the oil-water separator  28 , the hydraulic motor  52  of the transfer pump  50  and the hydraulic motor (not shown) of the booster pump  134 . The outlet pressure at each of the pumps  50 ,  134  should be at least approximately forty-five psi, as measured by the pressure gauges  70 ,  138 . 
     The totalizer/flowmeter  32  should be checked at this point to verify that the flow rate of the bilge water from the strainer  20  is approximately two hundred USGPM. In addition, during the continuous operation of the system  10 , the flow meter  32  and the pressure gauges  22 ,  70 ,  102 ,  138  should be checked periodically to ensure that the system operating conditions remain within the design limits that were discussed previously at the beginning of this detailed disclosure. 
     After the foregoing assembly and start-up procedures have been completed, the system  10  can be operated continuously to treat and decontaminate the bilge water as follows. The contaminated bilge water flows into the end  18  of the inlet conduit  16  at a rate of approximately two hundred (200) USGPM. The bilge water next flows through the strainer  20 , wherein solids having diameters of approximately one sixteenth of an inch or larger are physically trapped and removed from the bilge water. The bilge water flows out of the strainer  20 , through the separator conduit  26  and into the oil-water separator  28 , wherein most of the oil and grease is removed centrifugally. The separated oil, also referred to as the light phase liquid, is transported away from the oil-water separator  28  via the oily waste conduit  36  to a collection container (not shown) for later disposal, in accordance with the applicable regulations. The bilge water, also known as the heavy phase liquid, is transported via the short conduit  40  and the first flexible conduit  44  to the transfer tank  46  of the second module  182 . Depending upon the degree of oil contamination, the volume of the bilge water exiting the oil-water separator  28  will be reduced such that the flow rate may be as low as approximately 170 USGPM. 
     As the bilge water enters the transfer tank  46 , it passes through the hydro-sieve  47  that is located at the inlet (not shown) of the transfer tank  46 . As described earlier, the hydro-sieve accomplishes the removal or reduction of two categories of contaminants—smaller suspended solids that are not caught by the strainer  20  and the chemical constituents of AFFF and emulsion agents. More particularly, the hydro-sieve  47  encourages any foaming or emulsion agents (e.g. AFFF) in the bilge water to foam up, which foam is then trapped, collected and removed by the hydro-sieve, with the suspended solids, to another waste container (not shown). 
     The transfer pump  50  extracts the bilge water from the transfer tank  46  and pumps it through the flexible conduit  74 , to the filters  86 ,  88  of the third module  184 . The bilge water stream is split at the main filter inlet conduit  76  into two streams of substantially equal volumes, each of which flows into one of the filters  86 ,  88  for processing. As already discussed briefly above, each of the filters  86 ,  88  has a plurality of 5 micron non-woven polypropylene filter bags with an affinity for oil. The bags aid in the removal of residual oil and particulates (with diameters of approximately 5 microns or larger) from the bilge water. The particular chemical contaminants removed by the filters  86 ,  88  include light volatile organics, such as benzene, toluene, ethylene and xylene. Since the filters  86 ,  88  are arranged in parallel with one another, each filter  86 ,  88  need only be large enough to accommodate one half of the total flow rate capacity of the system  10 , or, in other words, approximately eighty-five to one hundred USGPM. When the differential pressure gauge  102  of the third module  184  measures a pressure drop of at least approximately fifteen psi, then the filter bags (not shown) of the filters  86 ,  88  must be replaced with new filter bags. 
     After the bilge water has passed through the filters  86 ,  88 , the two streams of bilge water are combined in the filter outlet conduit  98  and flow through the oil in water sensor  100 , which measures the light organic compound content of the bilge water. The light organic compound content of the bilge water must be fifteen ppm or less to meet the currently applicable wastewater discharge standards. If the light organic compound content of the bilge water exceeds fifteen ppm, the bilge water should not be permitted to enter the carbon tanks  116 ,  118  of the fourth module  186 , but rather, the bilge water should be recycled back through the filters  86 ,  88  via a recycle conduit (not shown) connecting the filter outlet conduit  98  and the main filter conduit  76 . 
     Assuming the light organic concentration of the bilge water measures fifteen ppm or less, the bilge water will flow from the filter outlet conduit  98 , through the third flexible conduit  108 , and into the fourth module  188  wherein the carbon tanks  116 ,  188  are located. The carbon tanks  116 ,  118  are also arranged in parallel with one another and, therefore, each carbon tank  116 ,  118  processes only half of the overall system  10  flow rate, or approximately eighty-five to one hundred USGPM. The bilge water stream is split into two streams of substantially equal volume at the main carbon tank inlet conduit  110 . Each bilge water stream enters one of the carbon tanks  116 ,  118 , wherein the concentration of light organic compounds (e.g., benzene, toluene, ethylene and xylene) is further reduced by a conventional, well-known carbon adsorption process. The two bilge water streams exit the carbon tanks  116 ,  118  and are recombined in the booster pump conduit  132 . The booster pump  134  pumps the recombined bilge water stream into the flexible conduit  142  and into the sixth module  190 , which includes the parallel pairs of resin tanks  148 ,  150 . 
     The bilge water stream from the flexible conduit  142  is split into two streams of substantially equal volume at the upstream and downstream resin tank conduits  146 ,  144 , respectively. Each bilge water stream enters one of the pairs of resin tanks  148 ,  150 , wherein a known, conventional cation/anion exchange process removes, or reduces to acceptable levels, the contaminants, such as lead, zinc, cadmium, tin, selenium, chromium, nickel and mercury, from the bilge water. Since the pairs of resin tanks  148 ,  150  are arranged in parallel with one another, each pair  148 ,  150  processes only one half of the overall system  10  flow rate, or approximately eighty-five to one hundred USGPM. Furthermore, as described earlier herein, the resin tanks  156 ,  158 ,  160 ,  162  of each pair of resin tanks  148 ,  150 , respectively, is arranged in series, which arrangement results in doubling the time during which the bilge water is exposed to the cation/anion exchange process, further resulting in further reduction of the metals from the bilge water, before the bilge water exits the system  10 . It should be noted that each pair of resin tanks  148 ,  150  is provided with its own discharge conduit  176 ,  168 , respectively, which conduits  176 ,  168  also serve as the system outlet conduits and discharge the decontaminated bilge water from the system  10 , e.g., overboard. 
     The above-described sequential arrangement, organization and sizing of the components which facilitate transportation and efficient assembly of the system  10 , as well as the removal, reduction and separation of multiple categories of contaminants, of the types described above, from the contaminated bilge water, under the above-specified conditions constitute aspects of the present invention. 
     It will be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make many variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For instance, additional modules may be developed and added to the system  10  for the removal of additional categories of contaminants, such as aerobic and anaerobic microbes. Furthermore, additional conduits can be connected to the components for the recycling of bilge water to previous modules or bypassing certain modules. For example, a bypass conduit could be connected between the resin tank conduits  144 ,  146  and any one of the filter outlet conduit  98 , the flexible conduit  108  or the main carbon tank inlet conduit  110 . Such a bypass conduit would allow the bilge water to bypass the carbon tanks  116 ,  188  and flow directly to the resin tanks  156 ,  158 ,  160 ,  162  in the event that the reading of the sensor  100  indicated that processing by the carbon tanks  116 ,  118  was unnecessary because sufficient volatile organic compounds and residual oil had already been removed from the bilge water. Similarly a recycle conduit could be provided in connection with any of the processing components (e.g., between the filter outlet conduit  98  and the main filter conduit  76 ) so that the bilge water could be rerouted back through a particular decontamination process (e.g., the filters  86 ,  88 ) in the event the first pass-through failed to sufficiently remove or reduce the particular contaminants addressed thereby. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.