A pilot plant involving a septic pit followed by sand filtration was used to treat urban wastewater
in the south of Algeria. Experiments carried out in triplicates simultaneously in three identical pilot
plants showed the feasibility of the process, since BOD5
, COD and SS removals remained above
70% over 2.5 months of the experiment. The permeability of Sahara sand of dune allows therefore
its use for water biofiltration; however an additional drainage should be considered to avoid salt
problems. The next objective is the process validation on an industrial scale.