Patent ID: 7243909

Claim:
A cooling apparatus comprising: a single non-partitioned above grade cooling tower evaporative fill adapted to receive and cool heat rejection water; a below grade sump segmented into a first section and a second section; said first sump section, in communication with said evaporative fill, adapted to receive water from a system that requires said water to be cooled; said second sump section positioned adjacent to said first sump section adapted to limit receipt of water to an element selected from a group consisting of: cooled water from said evaporative tower fill, and warm water from said first sump section, and combinations thereof; water return from an external supply adapted to be delivered below grade to and stored in said first sump section; a partition adapted to separate said first sump section from said second sump section, said partition having a height less than an exterior wall of said sump sections; and excess water return from said first sump section adapted to pass over said partition to said second sump section.