Storm water separator system

Abstract

A storm water separator system having side walls constructed from sheet piling to enable installation within a small footprint and in poor soil conditions. The separator system has an upper bypass chamber and a lower treatment chamber with a diffuser directing inflowing water down into the lower chamber. A flow control orifice between the two chambers near an outlet orifice in the side wall controls the quantity of flow through the lower chamber. Excess flow bypasses treatment and passes through the upper chamber.

1 . A separator system, comprising: 
 a tank having a bottom and at least one sidewall, said at least one sidewall including sheet piling, said tank including a mid-deck defining an upper chamber and a lower chamber within said tank, said sidewall having an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice within said upper chamber and proximate said mid-deck; and    a diffuser located proximate said inlet orifice, said diffuser providing fluid communication between said upper chamber and said lower chamber through said mid-deck,    wherein said mid-deck defines a flow control orifice disposed proximate said outlet orifice, said flow control orifice providing fluid communication between said upper chamber and said lower chamber.    
     
     
         2 . The separator system claimed in  claim 1  wherein said diffuser includes at least one wall defining a top opening and a bottom opening, said top opening being located proximate said inlet orifice and said bottom opening being in communication with said lower chamber.  
     
     
         3 . The separator system claimed in  claim 2  wherein said inlet orifice has a flow direction and said diffuser further includes a plurality of spaced apart vanes attached to said at least one wall and disposed parallel to said flow direction for dispersing a fluid flow moving from said top opening to said bottom opening.  
     
     
         4 . The separator system claimed in  claim 3  wherein said vanes are spaced apart further at said bottom opening than at said top opening.  
     
     
         5 . The separator system claimed in  claim 1  further including at least one baffle extending upwards from said bottom within said lower chamber between said diffuser and said flow control orifice.  
     
     
         6 . The separator system claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said flow control orifice is defined by an interior diameter of a flow control pipe extending from said mid-deck downwards into said lower chamber.  
     
     
         7 . The separator system claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said flow control pipe includes a collar defining said interior diameter, said collar being removably attached to said flow control pipe.  
     
     
         8 . The separator system claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one sidewall includes four sidewalls in a rectangular formation.  
     
     
         9 . The separator system claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said sheet piling includes steel sheet piling.  
     
     
         10 . The separator system claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said steel sheet piling includes Z-type steel sheet piling.  
     
     
         11 . The separator system claimed in  claim 1 , further including an oil extraction pipe providing fluid communication between said lower chamber and said upper chamber, said oil extraction pipe extending upwards from said mid-deck into said upper chamber.  
     
     
         12 . The separator system claimed in  claim 1 , further including an inlet pipe coupled to said at least one side wall and defining said inlet orifice and an outlet pipe coupled to said at least one side wall and defining said outlet orifice, said inlet pipe and said outlet pipe being adapted for attachment to sewer pipelines.  
     
     
         13 . A storm water separator system, comprising: 
 at least one sidewall formed from sheet piling, the at least one sidewall defining the perimeter of a tank;    a mid-deck defining an upper chamber and a lower chamber within said tank,    wherein said sidewall defines an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice within said upper chamber and proximate said mid-deck and wherein said mid-deck includes a diffuser located proximate said inlet orifice for providing fluid communication between said upper chamber and said lower chamber through said mid-deck, and a flow control orifice disposed proximate said outlet orifice for providing fluid communication between said upper chamber and said lower chamber.    
     
     
         14 . The separator system claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said at least one sidewall includes four sidewalls in a rectangular formation.  
     
     
         15 . The separator system claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said sheet piling includes steel sheet piling.  
     
     
         16 . The separator system claimed in  claim 15 , wherein said steel sheet piling includes Z-type steel sheet piling.  
     
     
         17 . A method of constructing a storm water separator system, comprising steps of: 
 driving sheet piling into soil to form at least one sidewall, said at least one sidewall defining a perimeter of said storm water separator system;    excavating soil from within said perimeter to create a tank;    back filling said tank with at least a layer of rock;    pouring a concrete slab atop said rock to form a bottom surface of said tank;    defining an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice within said sidewall; and    creating a mid-deck spanning the sidewalls and disposed adjacent and below said inlet orifice and said outlet orifice, wherein the mid-deck divides said tank into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, and wherein said mid-deck includes a first orifice located proximate said inlet orifice for providing fluid communication between said upper chamber and said lower chamber through said mid-deck, and a second orifice disposed proximate said outlet orifice for providing fluid communication between said lower chamber and said upper chamber.    
     
     
         18 . The method claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said step of creating said mid-deck comprises forming a decking and curing reinforced concrete upon said decking.  
     
     
         19 . The method claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said step of driving sheet piling comprises driving steel sheet piling to a depth below said bottom surface.  
     
     
         20 . The method claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said step of creating said mid-deck includes mounting a diffuser within said first orifice and attaching a flow control collar within said second orifice.