Patent ID: 7985341

Claim:
A method of treating liquid influent in a circular clarifier having a container for holding said influent and at least one trough extending at approximately the fill level of said influent within said container, said method comprising: (a) introducing said influent into a treatment region of said container in the vicinity of said trough; (b) causing a fraction of said influent comprising separable matter to form a surface layer of flocculent in a flotation subzone of said treatment region; and (c) confining said flocculent within said flotation subzone and gradually decreasing the volume of said flotation subzone to cause said flocculent to rise above said fill level and gently spill into said trough without substantially disrupting said flocculent, wherein said clarifier comprises a rotatable flocculent handling assembly and wherein said step of gradually decreasing the volume of said flotation subzone comprises rotating said flocculent handling assembly through said treatment region, and wherein said flocculent handling assembly comprises a beach having a generally horizontally disposed upper surface, wherein said beach defines the lower boundary of said flotation subzone.