A continuous process for removing particulate and dissolved
impurities from a liquid comprising the steps of injecting a
particulate filter medium into a liquid stream to form a slurry,
conveying the slurry into the bottom portion of a separation
vessel, accumulating the particulate filter material in the form of
a porous plug, moving said plug into the upper portion of said
separation vessel, pumping the liquid through the lower portions of
said plug, removing the liquid from the upper portion of the
separation vessel, removing the particulate filter material from
the upper end of the separation vessel above the point at which the
liquid is discharged and subjecting the removed filter material to
a cleansing or regeneration treatment for reuse in the process.