Patent ID: 7378016

Claim:
An apparatus for increasing the pH of an input aqueous stream, comprising: a container having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, the outlet opening being located higher than the inlet opening, the container having between said inlet and outlet openings a reactor portion with a substantially upright axis; an inlet conduit connected to said inlet opening and receiving said input aqueous stream; a pump along said inlet conduit; an outlet conduit connected to said outlet opening, the path defined by said inlet conduit having a highest inlet point and the path defined by said outlet conduit having a highest outlet point, the highest inlet point being above the highest outlet point, whereby the elevational difference between the highest inlet point and the highest outlet point establishes a hydraulic head promoting upward movement of the aqueous stream through the reactor portion of the container; and a bed of substantially water-insoluble alkaline salt particulate within said reactor portion of the container, the bed being such that, when the pH of the aqueous stream entering the container via said inlet opening is below 7, contact between the particulate and the aqueous stream is sufficient to raise the pH of the aqueous stream to a level above that of the aqueous stream prior to exiting said container via said outlet opening.