A liquid distributor for receiving and distributing a liquid stream, said liquid distributor comprising: a plurality of elongated primary troughs positioned in side-by-side and generally parallel relationship, each of said primary troughs having spaced apart side walls (54, 56, 58 and 60) interconnected by a floor for receiving and allowing the accumulation of a portion of the liquid stream within each primary trough; a plurality of liquid discharge holes in at least one of the side walls of each of said primary troughs through which the portion of the liquid stream that has accumulated within each primary trough may be discharged from the associated trough in individual primary discharge streams; a plurality of secondary troughs having spaced apart side walls (70, 72, 74, 76) interconnected by a floor for receiving and allowing the accumulation of a portion of the primary discharge streams within each secondary trough, each secondary trough being positioned adjacent one of the primary troughs at a location to receive at least some of the individual primary discharge streams from said one of the primary troughs; a plurality of liquid discharge holes in at least one of the side walls (70, 72, 74, 76) of each of the secondary troughs through which the portion of the individual primary discharge streams that has accumulated with each second trough may be discharged from the associated secondary trough in individual secondary discharge streams; and splash baffles spaced a preselected distance from at least some of the plurality of liquid discharge holes in the side walls of the secondary troughs to receive at least some of the individual secondary discharge streams and cause a lateral spreading thereof as the individual second discharge streams descend along the splash baffles and drip from lower edges thereof, wherein each of said splash baffles extends longitudinally along all or substantially all of the longitudinal length of the associated secondary trough and has a planar upper segment that extends vertically along the side wall, a planar intermediate segment that is angled to underlie the secondary trough. a plurality of elongated primary troughs positioned in side-by-side and generally parallel relationship, each of said primary troughs having spaced apart side walls (54, 56, 58 and 60) interconnected by a floor for receiving and allowing the accumulation of a portion of the liquid stream within each primary trough; a plurality of liquid discharge holes in at least one of the side walls of each of said primary troughs through which the portion of the liquid stream that has accumulated within each primary trough may be discharged from the associated trough in individual primary discharge streams; a plurality of secondary troughs having spaced apart side walls (70, 72, 74, 76) interconnected by a floor for receiving and allowing the accumulation of a portion of the primary discharge streams within each secondary trough, each secondary trough being positioned adjacent one of the primary troughs at a location to receive at least some of the individual primary discharge streams from said one of the primary troughs; a plurality of liquid discharge holes in at least one of the side walls (70, 72, 74, 76) of each of the secondary troughs through which the portion of the individual primary discharge streams that has accumulated with each second trough may be discharged from the associated secondary trough in individual secondary discharge streams; and splash baffles spaced a preselected distance from at least some of the plurality of liquid discharge holes in the side walls of the secondary troughs to receive at least some of the individual secondary discharge streams and cause a lateral spreading thereof as the individual second discharge streams descend along the splash baffles and drip from lower edges thereof, wherein each of said splash baffles extends longitudinally along all or substantially all of the longitudinal length of the associated secondary trough and has a planar upper segment that extends vertically along the side wall, a planar intermediate segment that is angled to underlie the secondary trough.