A filtration apparatus for filtering and dewatering solids entrained in a fluid, comprising: a filtration chamber, the filtration chamber having a fluid inlet, a filtered fluid outlet, a residue outlet, a cylindrical or conical filtering element, said filtering element being situated within said filtration chamber between the fluid inlet and the filtered fluid outlet, a first pumping means configured to create a flow toward said filtration chamber through said fluid inlet characterised in that the filtration apparatus further comprises: a second pumping means situated within said filtration chamber and configured to induce a counter-flow back toward the first pumping means a wiping member situated within the filtering element and adapted to wipe residue on the internal surface of the filtering element toward the residue outlet when the apparatus is in use, said wiping member being rotatable about a shaft having an axis that is common with the central axis of the filtering element, the wiping member being a substantially helically shaped wiper blade comprising curved blades extending from the shaft and supporting the helically shaped wiper blade, on their tips, said curved blades being in the form of axial flow impeller vanes and forming said second pumping means, wherein said first pumping means is configured to have a greater pumping capacity than said second pumping means, the resulting flow causing the fluid and any entrained solids to be continuously agitated and directed toward or past the filtering element. a filtration chamber, the filtration chamber having a fluid inlet, a filtered fluid outlet, a residue outlet, a cylindrical or conical filtering element, said filtering element being situated within said filtration chamber between the fluid inlet and the filtered fluid outlet, a first pumping means configured to create a flow toward said filtration chamber through said fluid inlet characterised in that the filtration apparatus further comprises: a second pumping means situated within said filtration chamber and configured to induce a counter-flow back toward the first pumping means a wiping member situated within the filtering element and adapted to wipe residue on the internal surface of the filtering element toward the residue outlet when the apparatus is in use, said wiping member being rotatable about a shaft having an axis that is common with the central axis of the filtering element, the wiping member being a substantially helically shaped wiper blade comprising curved blades extending from the shaft and supporting the helically shaped wiper blade, on their tips, said curved blades being in the form of axial flow impeller vanes and forming said second pumping means, wherein said first pumping means is configured to have a greater pumping capacity than said second pumping means, the resulting flow causing the fluid and any entrained solids to be continuously agitated and directed toward or past the filtering element. a second pumping means situated within said filtration chamber and configured to induce a counter-flow back toward the first pumping means a wiping member situated within the filtering element and adapted to wipe residue on the internal surface of the filtering element toward the residue outlet when the apparatus is in use, said wiping member being rotatable about a shaft having an axis that is common with the central axis of the filtering element, the wiping member being a substantially helically shaped wiper blade comprising curved blades extending from the shaft and supporting the helically shaped wiper blade, on their tips, said curved blades being in the form of axial flow impeller vanes and forming said second pumping means, wherein said first pumping means is configured to have a greater pumping capacity than said second pumping means, the resulting flow causing the fluid and any entrained solids to be continuously agitated and directed toward or past the filtering element.