Apparatus and method for separation of contaminants floating on the surface of a liquid

Apparatus for use in the separation of a floating contaminant from a body of liquid comprises a substantially rectangular planar sheet (1) having on two of its opposed edges an up standing wall member (2), said sheet being arranged on one of its other edges (3), with an inlet manifold (4, 5) for directing a fast flowing film of liquid over substantially the entire area of the sheet (1), the inlet manifold (4, 5) comprising a pipe (4) connected to a source of liquid under pressure, the pipe (4) feeding into a fish-tail section (5) that in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the sheet tapers from a dimension equal to the diameter of the pipe (4) to a slot aperture (6) and in the direction of the plane of the sheet flares from a dimension equal to the diameter of the pipe (4) to a dimension substantially equal to the length of the edge (3) at which it is attached to the sheet (1), the dimensions of the slot aperture (6) being such that the area of the aperture (6) is many times smaller than the cross-sectional area of the pipe (4) at entry into the fish-tail section (5), and the sheet (1) having at the edge (7) remote from the inlet manifold (4, 5) a collecting device (8) for collecting liquid, flowing over the sheet (1).