Swedish rural on-site wastewater facilities need to reduce the phosphorus (P) concentrations in the wastewater to prevent eutrophication of the Baltic Sea, as well as the bacteria concentrations to comply with EU standards for bathing water quality. The aim of this study was to investigate two different on-site filter systems at full-scale, sand filters and (often subsequently used) alkaline P filters towards their performance to treat P and bacteria from domestic wastewater. Flow-proportional composite samples were taken from five sand filter beds and two P filters. Four of the five investigated sand filters considerably reduced the concentration of total P in the wastewater. However, infiltrating soil / ground water may have diluted the effluents. The investigated P filters varied in performance. While one of them treated P effectively, the other one performed poorly, probably due to old age and clogging. Low inlet P concentrations impeded the general assessment of the P filters’ efficiency. Concentrations of four indicator bacteria, intestinal enterococci, E. coli, total coliforms and C. perfringens, were considerably reduced in four of the five investigated sand filter beds. Bacteria removal in the two investigated P filters was difficult to assess because of low bacteria concentrations in the influents.