Patent ID: 8728310

Claim:
A system for the processing of impure water using a first liquid column and a second liquid column and using bubbles in the first liquid column to generate treated water and a waste byproduct, wherein the bubbles are a gas comprising ozone, the system comprising: a first chamber, a second chamber and at least one diffuser, wherein the first chamber has a first chamber upper end, a first chamber lower end, a first chamber inlet disposed at the first chamber upper end, a first chamber outlet disposed at the first chamber upper end, and a first chamber wall; wherein the second chamber has a second chamber upper end, a second chamber lower end, and a second chamber outlet; wherein the first chamber wall substantially surrounds the second chamber and is spaced apart from the second chamber and is configured to contain the first liquid column between the first chamber wall and the second chamber, wherein the second chamber is configured to contain the second liquid column within the second chamber, wherein the first chamber inlet is configured to allow the impure water to flow into the first chamber, wherein the at least one diffuser is disposed at the first chamber lower end and configured to generate the bubbles in the first liquid column, wherein the first chamber and the at least one diffuser are further configured to cause the bubbles to flow upward in the first liquid column and to cause the impure water to flow downward in the first liquid column so that the impure water flows counter to the flow of the bubbles and into contact with the bubbles and thereby generate the treated water and the waste byproduct, wherein the first chamber outlet includes a plurality of conduits that are connected to a common discharge header, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are configured to be in fluid communication so that the treated water can flow from the first chamber lower end into the second chamber lower end, and wherein the second chamber is configured so that the treated water can flow upward from the second chamber lower end and out of the second chamber via the second chamber outlet.