Apparatus for sequentially backwashing a plurality of seriate filter beds

Abstract

Improved methods are disclosed for cleansing a plurality of seriate filter beds in automatic backwash filtering systems by backwashing the beds one at a time with backwash liquid from an effluent channel common to seriate effluent ports of the plurality of filter beds and pumping the backwash liquid seriatim through separate effluent ports of individual filter beds and then flowing filtered effluent from each bed through its effluent port into the effluent channel, repeating such steps of backwashing and flowing filtered effluent on individual filter beds until all the filter beds in the system have been backwashed wherein, simultaneously with the backwashing of a second bed, waste liquid from the first bed is pumped through its port while the waste liquid is monitored for turbidity and such waste liquid pumping is continued until the turbidity thereof reaches a predetermined low level. Meanwhile, the cleansing operation on the second bed is prevented from moving to a third bed until the turbidity of the waste liquid from the first bed reaches the predetermined low level. Such monitor control operation is applied to third and further ports until all filter beds in the system have been cleansed.