Patent ID: 7673756

Claim:
A water purification system comprising: a disposable sump comprising: a housing, comprising: a longitudinal side wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface; a distal bottom portion integral with the longitudinal side wall; a disposable water purification media cartridge having an outer surface, disposed within the sump, wherein the outer surface is displaced from the interior surface of the longitudinal side wall to create a gap between the disposable water purification media cartridge and the interior surface of the longitudinal side wall through which unfiltered water can flow, and having a longitudinal central opening through which filtered water can flow and in contact with said interior surface of said distal bottom portion of said housing; and a housing end cap adapted to provide a water tight seal with said longitudinal side wall, comprising a collar comprising a central opening adapted to receive untreated water flowing toward said disposable water media cartridge, and a substantially planar portion extending from said collar and having an upper surface forming the upper surface of said disposable sump; and a flow dispersal plate disposed between the inlet and the gap, and between the housing end cap and the purification media cartridge, and comprising: a substantially planar flow distribution portion having a circumferential outer edge; a plurality of flow diverting members adapted to direct water flow longitudinally away from the flow dispersal plate and provide a circumferential velocity component to the water; a central opening formed by a conduit longitudinally extending from said substantially planar flow distribution portion in a direction opposed to the longitudinal water flow provided by the flow diverting members, and wherein said central opening is not in direct fluid communication with the substantially planar flow distribution portion, and is in fluid communication with said longitudinal central opening of said disposable fluid purification media cartridge, and extends into said collar of said housing end cap; and a purification head assembly detachably connected to the disposable sump, comprising: multiple fluid inlets, including an inlet in fluid communication with the gap; multiple fluid outlets, including an outlet in fluid communication with the longitudinal central opening; and flow paths within the purification head having diameters approximately the same as those of the fluid inlets and fluid outlets.