Submerged pipe separator tank

Claim 1

A tank interceptor for rainwater and waste-water, comprising: a container including a bottom wall, a side wall and a top wall, said walls defining an internal chamber, an inlet which opens through the side wall at an intermediate location between the top and bottom walls, an outlet which opens through the side wall at a position which is circumferentially spaced away from the inlet, but is at substantially the same location between the top and bottom walls, first partition means within the chamber adjacent the inlet, said first partition means defining an inlet compartment communicating directly with said inlet, second partition means within the chamber adjacent the outlet, said second partition means defining an outlet compartment communicating directly with said outlet, each compartment having a first aperture means adjacent the top thereof, through which the compartment communicates with the remainder of said internal chamber, each compartment having a second aperture means adjacent the bottom thereof, through which solids and other heavy components in the compartment can pass gravitationally into the internal chamber of the container, and an auxiliary outlet in said first partition means, the auxiliary outlet being located below the respective first aperture means and communicating with the top of an auxiliary conduit which has an open bottom end in communication with the internal chamber of the container at a location adjacently below the level of the liquid in said internal chamber at low entry flow rates, whereby oils and other floating contaminants in the inlet compartment can be drawn off and deposited at substantially the upper surface of the liquid in said internal chamber.