Nutrient Removal Filtration System and Method

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods for providing nutrient removals in an up flow filtration storm water system for treating water to very high clean levels using filtration media. A filtration media can be supported by a screen above a floor in a vault allows for incoming storm water to pass into a void space above the floor into the screen and filtration media and then out an outlet to the vault. The filtration media can include recyclable and/or natural particles. A top screen can be placed on top of the filtration media. Layers of river rocks can be placed on top of and below the filtration media. The captured debris can drop to the floor. The long lasting filtration media can be cleaned by being backwashed.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A nutrient removal filtration system, comprising:
 a generally horizontal lower screen supported above a bottom of an in-flow vault, with a void space formed between the bottom and the screen;   a lower layer of loose rocks on the lower metal screen; and   a filtration media of particles resting on the lower layer of loose rocks, the filtration media of particles includes a combination of loose recyclable particles and loose natural particles, wherein storm water flowing into the vault through an inlet passes into the void space and up through the screen and filtration media and out the vault through an outlet, so that contaminants, metals, nutrients and solids are removed from the storm water by the filtration system.   
     
     
         2 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 1 , wherein the horizontal lower screen includes a metal screen. 
     
     
         3 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 1 , wherein the horizontal lower screen includes openings of approximately ¼ inch. 
     
     
         4 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 1 , further comprising;
 an upper layer of loose rocks above the filtration media of particles.   
     
     
         5 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 4  further comprising:
 a top screen on top of the second layer of loose rocks. 
 
     
     
         6 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 5 , wherein the top screen includes a top metal screen. 
     
     
         7 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 5 , wherein the top screen includes openings of approximately ¼ inch. 
     
     
         8 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a top screen above the filtration media.   
     
     
         9 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 8 , wherein the top screen includes a top metal screen. 
     
     
         10 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 8 , wherein the top screen includes openings of approximately ¼ inch. 
     
     
         11 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 1 , wherein the lower layer of loose rocks include river rocks. 
     
     
         12 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 4 , wherein the upper layer of loose rocks include river rocks. 
     
     
         13 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 1 , wherein the loose recyclable particles are selected from a group comprising tire crumb, sawdust, orange peel, coconut husks, leaf compost, crushed oyster shell, soy bean hulls, tree bark, wood chips, paper, alfalfa, corn, mulch, cotton and wheat straw, and the loose natural particles are selected from another group comprising peat, sand, zeolites, limestone, sulfur and clay mixed with the one or more recycled materials. 
     
     
         14 . A nutrient removal filtration system, comprising:
 a generally horizontal lower screen supported above a bottom of a treatment vault, with a void space formed between the bottom and the screen;   a filtration media of loose particles resting on the lower screen, wherein storm water flowing into the vault through an inlet passes into the void space and up through the screen and filtration media and out the vault through an outlet, so that contaminants, metals, nutrients and solids are removed from the storm water by the filtration system; and   a floor on the bottom of the vault wherein sediment and debris from the screen and media falls and slides to the floor.   
     
     
         15 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 14 , wherein the horizontal lower screen includes a metal screen. 
     
     
         16 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 14 , wherein the horizontal lower screen includes openings of approximately ¼ inch. 
     
     
         17 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 14  further comprising:
 a generally horizontal top screen on top of the filtration media of loose particles. 
 
     
     
         18 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 17 , wherein the horizontal top screen includes a metal screen. 
     
     
         19 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 17 , wherein the horizontal top screen includes openings of approximately ¼ inch. 
     
     
         20 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 14 , wherein the loose particles include recyclable particles and natural particles. The recyclable particles selected from a group comprising tire crumb, sawdust, orange peel, coconut husks, leaf compost, crushed oyster shell, soy bean hulls, tree bark, wood chips, paper, alfalfa, corn, mulch, cotton and wheat straw, and the natural particles are selected from another group comprising peat, sand, zeolites, limestone, sulfur and clay mixed with the one or more recycled materials. 
     
     
         21 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a first layer of a combination of loose rocks and a first limestone layer above the filtration media of particles, and   a generally horizontal top screen on top of the filtration media of particles.   
     
     
         22 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 21 , wherein the horizontal top screen includes a metal screen. 
     
     
         23 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 21 , wherein the horizontal top screen includes openings of approximately ¼ inch. 
     
     
         24 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a second layer selected from another combination of additional loose rocks and a second limestone layer, between the filtration media and the generally horizontal top screen.   
     
     
         25 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 1 , wherein the filtration media of particles is approximately 2 inches to approximately 4inches deep. 
     
     
         26 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 1 , wherein the filtration media of particles includes particle sizes of between approximately ⅛ of an inch to approximately ½ inch in size. 
     
     
         27 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the lower layer of rocks is up to approximately twice the size of filtration media particles. 
     
     
         28 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 4 , wherein each of the lower layer of rocks and each of the upper layer of rocks is up to approximately twice the size of filtration media particles. 
     
     
         29 . A nutrient removal filtration system, comprising:
 a generally horizontal lower screen, supported above a bottom of an in-flow vault, with a void space formed between the bottom and the screen;   a lower layer of loose river rocks on the lower screen; and   a filtration media of particles resting on the lower layer of loose rocks, the filtration media of particles includes a combination of loose recyclable particles and loose natural particles, wherein storm water flowing into the vault through an inlet passes into the void space and up through the screen and filtration media and out the vault through an outlet, so that contaminants, metals, nutrients and solids are removed from the storm water by the filtration system, wherein the filtration media of particles includes particle sizes of between approximately ⅛ of an inch to approximately ½ inch in size, and wherein each of the lower layer of rocks is up to approximately twice the size of filtration media particles.   
     
     
         30 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 29 , wherein the horizontal lower screen includes a metal screen. 
     
     
         31 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 29 , wherein the horizontal lower screen includes openings of approximately ¼ inch. 
     
     
         32 . A nutrient removal filtration system, comprising:
 a generally horizontal lower screen, supported above a bottom of an in-flow vault, with a void space formed between the bottom and the screen;   a lower layer of loose river rocks on the lower screen; and   a filtration media of particles resting on the lower layer of loose rocks , the filtration media of particles includes a combination of loose recyclable particles and loose natural particles, wherein storm water flowing into the vault through an inlet passes into the void space and up through the screen and filtration media and out the vault through an outlet, so that contaminants, metals, nutrients and solids are removed from the storm water by the filtration system,   wherein the filtration media of particles includes particle sizes of between approximately ⅛ of an inch to approximately ½ inch in size,   wherein each of the lower layer of rocks is up to approximately twice the size of filtration media particles; and   a generally horizontal top screen on top of the filtration media of particles.   
     
     
         33 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 32 , wherein the horizontal lower screen and the horizontal top screen, each includes a metal screen. 
     
     
         34 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 32 , wherein the horizontal lower screen and the horizontal top screen, each includes openings of approximately ¼ inch. 
     
     
         35 . A nutrient removal filtration system, comprising:
 a generally horizontal lower screen, supported above a bottom of an in-flow vault, with a void space formed between the bottom and the screen;   a lower layer of loose rocks on the lower screen; and   a filtration media of particles resting on the lower layer of loose rocks, wherein storm water flowing into the vault through an inlet passes into the void space and up through the screen and filtration media and out the vault through an outlet, so that contaminants, metals, nutrients and solids are removed from the storm water by the filtration system,   wherein the filtration media of particles includes particle sizes of between approximately ⅛ of an inch to approximately 4 inch in size; and   an upper layer of loose rocks on top of the filtration media of particles, wherein each of the lower layer of rocks and each of the upper layer of loose rocks is up to approximately twice the size of filtration media particle.   
     
     
         36 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 35 , wherein the horizontal lower screen includes a metal screen. 
     
     
         37 . The nutrient removal filtration system of  claim 35 , wherein the horizontal lower screen includes openings of approximately ¼ inch.