Patent ID: 8216477

Claim:
An apparatus for removing organics from water, the apparatus comprising; an upwardly open and downwardly closed column having tubular side wall and a floor; a generally closed chamber on the floor of the column and forming inside the column with the side wall an upwardly open annular space, the column having an outlet opening into the annular space adjacent the floor; a first pump for pumping water containing organics into the chamber and thereby filling the column with water that flows from the outlet; structure forming a downwardly and horizontally closed but upwardly open flow space in the column above the chamber; a second pump connected to the chamber and having an air intake for pumping at least some of the water containing organics out of the chamber, mixing air drawn in through the intake with the pumped-out water to form bubbles therein, and pumping the water and bubbles back into the flow space, whereby bubbles capture the organics in the water and rise from the flow space to a surface of the water filling the column; and means for skimming the organics from the surface of the water above the flow space.