Water filtration system

Claim 1

In a vehicle washing system including spray means for intermittently spraying water onto a vehicle on demand, a water reclamation system comprising: a. water collection means for collecting the water draining from the vehicle washing system; b. water storage means having an upper surface, a lower surface, an input port positioned at an elevation at or below the upper surface but spaced above the lower surface of said water storage means, and an output port positioned at an elevation below said input port and above the lower surface of said water storage means; c. means for pumping the water from said water collection means into the input port of said water storage means; d. means for sensing the quantity of water in said water collection means and for energizing said pumping means to maintain quantity of water in said water collection means below a predetermined quantity; e. drain port means coupled to said water storage means in proximity to the lower surface of said water storage means and below the output port of said water storage menas for accessing all sediment laden water in said water storage means; f. continuous flow means coupled to said drain port means and to said water collection means for preventing stagnation of the sediment laden water in said water storage means by maintaining a substantially continuous flow of the sediment laden water from said drain port means into said water collection means; g. water transfer means coupled to the output port of said water storage means for providing a water flow path from said water storage means to said spray means; and h. the water flow path through said water storage means, said drain port means, said continuous flow means, said water collection means and said pumping means defining a first loop for continuously recirculating all water within said system when said system is operating in a non-washing mode and the water flow path through said water storage means, said water transfer means, said spray means, said water collection means, and said pumping means defining a second loop for intermittently directing water through said spray means onto said vehicle when said system is placed in an operating mode to wash said vehicle; whereby water stagnation is eliminated by maintaining a continuous, recirculating flow of all water between said water storage means and said water collection means whether said system is functioning in the non-washing mode or in the operating mode.