Patent ID: 7943041

Claim:
A system for removing particulate material from wastewater discharged from an industrial process, said system comprising: a) a wastewater effluent feed path containing an introduced wastewater effluent from a source of wastewater; b) at least one screening station disposed along said wastewater effluent feed path for filtering large sized particulate material from said wastewater effluent; c) at least one first sedimentation station disposed along said wastewater effluent feed path for allowing particulate material suspended in said wastewater to settle out of the wastewater effluent; d) removing a quantity of the wastewater effluent from said wastewater effluent feed path after said first sedimentation station, said quantity of water for reuse in said industrial process; e) at least one second sedimentation station disposed along said wastewater effluent feed path for allowing particulate material suspended in said wastewater to settle out of said wastewater effluent; f) a coagulation station disposed along said wastewater effluent feed path after said second sedimentation station for addition of a coagulant to said wastewater effluent to cause suspended particulate material to form a floc; and g) a skimming station disposed along said wastewater effluent feed path after said coagulation station for skimming said floc from the surface of said wastewater effluent; wherein wastewater effluent passing out of the skimming station is discharged from said wastewater effluent feed path.