Patent ID: 8460520

Claim:
A system for removing contaminants from raw water or waste water, the system including at least one electrochemical treatment module comprising: a housing having an inlet for untreated water and an outlet for treated water that has been treated within the housing; an array of electrodes comprising at least two positive and two negative electrodes within the housing, the electrodes having space there between of a selected distance, the space being greater than 0.5 inches (1.27 cm); a source for applying direct current the electrodes to charge one portion of the array positively and another portion of the array negatively so as to create an electromotive force potential between oppositely charged electrodes, the direct current being sufficient to oxidize the contaminants and to neutralize small particle surface charges in an aqueous solution wherein the inlet for untreated water is below the outlet for treated water and wherein the electrodes extend transverse to the direction of water flow with the array of electrodes being configured of adjacent grids of alternating polarity, the grids having insulating material disposed there between wherein each grid is formed as a panel of spaced rods disposed between a pair of bus bars with each bus bar being connected to either a positive or negative bus and wherein the housing and panels of spaced rods are both rectangular with the outlet being disposed in a detachable portion of the housing to facilitate access to the grids, the positive bus and negative bus being on opposite sides of the housing to allow replacement of the grids in the housing after removal of the outlet portion of the housing.