The sewage treatment plant of Metabief (East of France) has been monitored during three weeks in winter 1988. The treatment associates a physico-chemical treatment with a biological process of biofiltration. The first step eliminates about 60 % of the organic matter (COD and BOD). The biofliters improve the treatment removing 60 % of COD influent and 65 % of TSS. The process is efficient (N excepted) under conditions of the experiment but nitrification is limited by cold temperatures (< 10°C).
Important results related to biological sludge product are presented (sludge characteristic, microscopic data, sludge production). Power consumption of biofliters represents 70 % of the total plant needs. Adequate control of washing cycles and close survey of numerous movable devices are of the utmost importance to guarantee the proper operating of biofliters.