An apparatus and method for separating oil and particulate contaminants
from pump-driven aqueous fluid contaminated with emulsified oils, free
oils, particulate matter, suspended solids, and other contaminants in
which the contaminated fluids are introduced into a container having a
horizontal bottom portion and a weir plate dividing the container into an
upper clean fluid compartment and a lower separation compartment, an
aperture for the outflow of clean fluid from the upper clean fluid
compartment sized relative to the pumping rate of the pump driving the
aqueous fluid to ensure a residence time of the contaminated fluid in the
lower separation compartment of at least about 0.4 minutes, coalescing
media comprising a plurality of abutting polypropylene spheres located in
the lower separation compartment, and a drain receptacle for collecting
the contaminated fluid and delivering the contaminated fluid across the
weir plate to the lower separation compartment.