The water volume (containing 30 mg/l phosphate and 1 g/l NaCl) treated was 35 l in each test. Three experiments were run in total using the optimized process parameter values found for phosphate removal in the laboratory-scale experiments. These experiments were performed with the water recirculation flow kept at its maximum value (ca. 6.1–6.4 L/min). After each test run the EC cell was carefully mechanically cleaned with 1.5 M hydrochloric acid. Hot tap water was then circulated in the apparatus for 20–30 min to remove any remaining sludge from the pipes.