A system for separating oil and/or oily coated solids from an oily water
mixture. The system includes an upright vessel having an inlet for
introducing oily water in a horizontal pattern. The vessel also has a
water outlet in a lower portion of the vessel and an oil outlet. An
eductor is positioned within a lower portion of the vessel and is
arranged to disseminates small gas bubbles in a radial, substantially
horizontal pattern and substantially uniformly over the full
cross-sectional area of the vessel. The bubbles migrate upwardly against
the downward flow of oily water within the vessel and attach to oil
droplets and/or oily coated solids augmenting the buoyancy thereof, and
thereby enhancing oily contaminant separation from water. A two-stage oil
skimmer bucket is located in a top portion of the vessel by which
separated oil is collected and discharged through the oil outlet.