A system for treating and/or recycling gray water includes a first receiving tank for gray water, a second receiving tank for treated water and a fluidic treatment circuit between the first and second receiving tanks. The first receiving tank includes an element for oxygenating the water in the first receiving tank and a system adapted to deliver enzymes into the first receiving tank. The fluidic treatment circuit includes a filtration unit, a microfiltration unit including at least one microfilter, a disinfection unit and a membrane ultrafiltration unit.

A clothes care apparatus includes: a steam generation device comprising a steam generator; a water tank configured to supply water to the steam generation device, and recover the water discharged from the steam generation device; a microbial detection sensor configured to collect first sensor data related to an amount of microorganisms attached to the water tank; a water level sensor configured to collect second sensor data related to a water level of the water tank; a sterilization device configured to sterilize water stored in the water tank; and a controller comprising at least one processor, comprising processing circuitry, individually and/or collectively, configured to: control the sterilization device based on a first function related to the second sensor data, in response to a microbial contamination level determined based on the first sensor data being less than a reference contamination level, and control the sterilization device based on a second function related to the second sensor data, in response to the microbial contamination level being greater than or equal to the reference contamination level.

Biosolids conversion systems and methods are provided. Wastewater may be received and separated into a separated water component and a dewatered solids component on-site at or near a wastewater source. The separated water components may be treated on-site using an ancillary water treatment process. The dewatered solids may be converted to a biosolid with aid of one or more oxidizers and a blending chamber. The dewatered solids may be converted to a biosolid on-site at or near a wastewater source or may be converted to a biosolid off-site at a central solids processing facility.

The invention relates to preventing microplastics from entering the environment. The invention is directed to filtering and compacting microplastics from any effluent, but in particular to filtering and compacting microfibers from the wastewater of washing machines and other appliances. However, the invention may also be applied in any industry where microparticles are generated, e.g. the industrial manufacture of textiles, or in treating roadside runoff, or where microparticles are handled, e.g. in Waste Water Treatment Plants. The invention is a compactor for automatically extracting and compressing microplastics from waste effluent, the compactor comprising; a chamber with an inlet; at least one plate within the chamber moveable between a non-compressing position and a compressing position, and a drive unit for driving the at least one plate; and a discharge outlet arranged to allow the automatic discharge of compressed microplastics.

Systems and methods involving filtration are disclosed. A filtration device includes a first opening, a second opening, and a vortical filter, the vortical filter comprising a rib. The rib may be configured to generate vortices to keep the filtered particles in suspension and to provide a flow path extending from the first opening to the second opening. The filtration device may filter particle from the fluid by cross-flow filtration along the flow path across a filter media surrounding at least a portion of the circumference of the vortical filter. The filtration device may be effective at filters greater than 90% of microplastics by mass when post-filtered to 10 microns when measured using the method of either of Example 1 or Example 2. The filtration device may be effective at filtering particles from the fluid at high flow speeds, such as flow speeds greater than 50 cm/sec or greater than 100 cm/sec.

A filter device for a water-bearing domestic appliance which has a surface filter with a sleeve shape, a support structure for said surface filter and a flow-through filter housing with filter inlet and filter outlet. The surface filter is held stably on the support structure, which has through-flow openings and a central opening at the end. A first flow path for water leads into the support structure and out again through the through-flow openings and the surface filter. A second flow path leads into the support structure and out again only through the central opening. The support structure is designed circumferential and is formed by support ribs which between them comprise the through-flow openings. The surface filter is attached or pressed onto the outside of the support structure in such a way that it covers the through-flow openings and rests on the outside of the support ribs.

Disclosed are methods and devices that are useful for processing wastewater, such as stormwater runoff, greywater, blackwater and combinations thereof. In some embodiments of the devices, water is drawn from relatively deep in a microbial processing container, aerated with a Venturi air pump, and subsequently expelled to a relatively shallow part of the microbial processing container.

A system and method for treatment of wastewater, in which the system includes a blackwater reactor configured to receive a stream of blackwater influent, to contain the blackwater therein during treatment of the blackwater, to facilitate recovery of methane and nutrient precipitates therefrom, and to output partially treated blackwater, and a greywater reactor configured to receive a stream of greywater influent and the partially treated blackwater output from the blackwater reactor, to contain the greywater and the partially treated blackwater therein during greywater treatment, and to output greywater treatment discharge. The process includes inputting a stream of blackwater into the blackwater reactor; treating the blackwater in the blackwater reactor with an anaerobic digestion process; controlling a pH level of the blackwater within the blackwater reactor; recovering nutrient precipitates from the blackwater reactor, optionally independent of chemical additives; and recovering methane from the blackwater reactor.

An orifice cavitation device is disclosed herein which promote cavitation at low operating pressures. An output opening has a sharp edge which facilitates cavitation. Moreover, an inner perimeter length may be increased by forming notches in the opening. Also, grooves may be formed on the inner surface of a funnel of the orifice cavitation device. The grooves may be straight and also spiral or slanted to encourage the water to rotate and increase shearing forces which also facilitates cavitation.

A floor cleaning machine includes a clean water tank, a floor scrubbing assembly in fluid communication with the clean water tank for engaging a floor surface, a debris collection assembly in fluid communication with a dirty water tank, and a pump operatively connected to the dirty water tank and the clean water tank. The pump is configured to transfer fluid from the dirty water tank to the clean water tank. A filter is fluidly between the dirty water tank and the clean water tank and configured to remove contaminants from the fluid flowing from the dirty water tank to the clean water tank.