Water purification process

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS OF TREATING WATER IN A DIRECT CURRENT DIAPHRAGM TYPE ELECTROLYTIC CELL HAVING AN ANODE COMPARTMENT AND A CATHODE COMPARTMENT, THE STEPS COMPRISING: SUBJECTING SAID WATER TO ELECTROLYTIC TREATMENT IN A DEIONIZING COMPARTMENT BETWEEN SAID ANODE AND CATHODE COMPARTMENTS TO REDUCE THE DISSOLVED ELECTROLYTE CONTENT OF SAID WATER WHILE RETARDING BACK DIFFUSION FROM SAID ANODE AND CATHODE COMPARTMENTS BY MAINTAINING BETWEEN PERMEABLE DIAPHRAGMS IN SAID CELL AT LEAST ONE SUBSTANTIALLY QUIESCENT BODY OF ELECTROLYTE LOCATED BETWEEN SAID ANODE AND CATHODE COMPARTMENTS, THEREAFTER SUBJECTING THE PARTLY DEIONIZED WATER TO ION EXCHANGE TREATMENT BY CONTACTING THE SAME WITH AT LEAST ONE ION EXCHANGE MATERIAL, AND EMPLOYING AN EFFLUENT FROM AT LEAST ONE COMPARTMENT OF SAID CELL OTHER THAN SAID DEIONIZING COMPARTMENT TO REGENERATE SAID ION EXCHANGE MATERIAL.