Insitu electrochemical water treatment process equipment for pits and lagoons

Abstract

Insitu process equipment for the electrochemical treatment of contaminated water in a pit or lagoon such as an oil drilling reserve pit. The insitu process equipment uses a minimum of equipment for removing both suspended and dissolved solids in the water and allowing the treated water to be decanted from the pit or lagoon for reuse or discharge. The process equipment includes a floatation device in the form of a plurality of lightweight foam filled barrels rotatably mounted on drum axles. The drum axles are attached to an elongated barrel frame. A pair of electrode assemblies with a plurality of electrodes are attached to opposite sides of the barrel frame. The electrode assemblies are pivotly mounted on the barrel frame for lowering the electrodes below the water level when the process is in operation. An electrode cable guide is mounted on top of the barrel frame and the barrels for holding electrode cables. One end of the electrode cables are attached to opposite ends of the electrode assemblies. The other end of the electrode cables is attached to a power supply, such as a generator, resting on the shore and next to the pit or lagoon. The power supply provides direct current via the cables to the electrodes with the polarity of the current cycle reversed periodically depending on the types of water contaminates being treated. When the cycle is reversed, the contaminants gathered on the electrodes typically fall to the bottom of the pit as precipitated solids.