Locally backwashing portions of filter media allows a simple and effective design of intake and pretreatment units, as well as their integration. An enclosure is used to limit portions of filter media and backwash them locally by suction, utilizing filtered water from adjacent filter media as the back wash water. Wastewater is produced at small amounts that allows efficient sludge treatment. This design enables water pretreatment at the intake unit, simplifying overall plant design and preventing damage to organisms living outside the intake unit.

A water desalination system includes a first set of ultrafiltration membranes, a second set of ultrafiltration membranes, a first backwashing system configured to treat at least one of the first set of ultrafiltration membranes or the second set of ultrafiltration membranes with brine generated by a reverse osmosis process, and a second backwashing system configured to treat at least one of the first set of ultrafiltration membranes or the second set of ultrafiltration membranes with one or more chemicals and reverse osmosis permeate water.

A method of destroying a fluorocarbon compound includes regenerating an adsorbent to remove the fluorocarbon compound and to produce a regeneration fluid having a concentration of the fluorocarbon compound and directing the regeneration fluid to an electro-oxidation system. The method also includes applying a current to the electro-oxidation system to oxidize the fluorocarbon compound within the regeneration fluid and measuring a quantity of fluorides in the regeneration fluid to determine the progress of the removal of the fluorocarbon compound from the regeneration fluid.

A system and a method for separation of ions from ions-containing medium is disclosed herein, that utilizes capacitive-faradaic fuel cells (CFFC) particles coated at least partially with catalysts capable of catalyzing redox reactions provided a reductant (fuel) and/or an oxidant, thereby polarizing the particles to more effectively absorb charged species (ions) from the water upon introducing, e.g., H.sub.2 gas or O.sub.2 gas, in the medium during the adsorption or regeneration. The same concept is utilized in a hybrid electrochemical cell for providing a system and a method for generating and converting electrochemical energy.

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for recovering water from an aqueous stream containing a solute are disclosed herein. In accordance with an aspect, provided is method comprising receiving an inlet brine stream comprising water and a solute; producing a concentrated brine stream by contacting the inlet brine stream with an ion exchange resin configured to extract water from the inlet brine stream, the ion exchange resin comprising a plurality of pores adapted to receive water molecules; ceasing the contact of the ion exchange resin with the inlet brine stream and the concentrated brine stream; and evaporating at least a portion of the water contained in the ion exchange resin aided by unsaturated air with less than 100% relative humidity using an evaporation unit.

The water treatment apparatus of the present invention comprises a flocculation part into which water to be treated is introduced, at least two flocculant adding devices installed so that different flocculants can be added to the flocculation part, one or two or more water quality measurement devices for measuring the quality of the water to be treated, and a controlling part for issuing, on the basis of the measurement result from the water quality measurement device(s), a command relating to whether addition of the flocculants to the corresponding flocculant adding device is required or not and to the added amounts of the flocculants, wherein at least one of the flocculant adding devices is an auxiliary flocculant adding device.

Described herein is a functional graphene composition comprising a graphene scaffold and one or more metal chelating functional groups covalently bonded to the graphene scaffold and a porous substrate that includes the functional graphene composition. Also provided is a method of removing dissolved metals from an aqueous liquid, such as, acid mine drainage.

A filter arrangement includes: a chamber including a chamber inlet for unfiltered liquid, a chamber outlet for filtered liquid and a wall arranged to keep the unfiltered liquid and the filtered liquid separated, a filter element having a longitudinal extension arranged inside of the chamber, wherein the filter element includes a semi-permeable filtration wall including a folded filter arranged in a zig-zag configuration between an inner perforated cylinder and an outer perforated cylinder and an internally located back-washing arrangement. The back-washing arrangement includes: an elongated and hollow body having a longitudinal extension, which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal extension of the filter element, a mechanism configured to drive the body in a rotational and/or an axial movement, a plurality of nozzles arranged in fluid communication with a cavity inside of the body, the plurality of nozzles projecting laterally from the body such that a distal end of each of the plurality of nozzles is arranged in close proximity to the inner perforated cylinder and an outlet arranged in fluid communication with the cavity of the elongated and hollow body and wherein the plurality of nozzles are arranged parallel to each other along a straight line on the body such that they all project in the same direction.

A system and method for water purification by capture of contaminants in an aqueous mixture is described herein. A system and method for regenerating the capture system is also described. An integrated capture and regeneration system and method is also described including a separation vessel that houses a capture bed and optionally an electrode in electrical contact with the bed with a power source for applying a voltage to the electrode. The applied voltage enhances capture of the contaminant from aqueous liquid on the capture bed and modulation of the applied voltage enhances release of contaminant on the capture bed into aqueous wash liquid to regenerate the bed. The aqueous wash liquid may contain a counter ion that binds to the contaminant forming an aggregate contaminant phase that separates from the aqueous wash liquid.

A control valve (10) includes a valve body with a plurality of ports (A, B, C, D, E, F) and a plurality of annular flow passages (53, 55, 57). A piston (34) which includes a plurality of annular flow passages and a longitudinal flow passage is selectively movable within a bore (32) within the valve body through operation of a valve controller (70). The valve controller is selectively operative to control the position of the piston so as to enable liquid flow through a plurality of flow paths. The valve controller further includes a installable and removable valve controller housing (74) which is releasably engageable with a valve base (72). The valve may include a changeable piston and changeable injector and plug components to adapt the valve to different flow and fluid mixing requirements.