Sterile green coconut water was produced in a developed two stage laboratory scale constant pressure filtration system with a prefiltration unit by ordinary filter paper (Whatman No. 4) for removal of suspended particles, and a micro-filtration unit by cellulose nitrate membrane (0.2 mu m pore opening) for removal of microorganisms. The filtration performances of the systems were tested at three pressure differentials; 5.33, 10.67 and 16.00 kPa. Resistances in both the filtration processes and the cake compressibility factors were investigated. The filter medium resistance (R-m)and the cake resistance (alpha) increased with the increase in applied pressure differentials for both the filtration systems. The values of R-m varied between 3.497 x 109 and 5.042 x 10(9)m(-1), and 1.979 x 10(10) and 3.076 x 10(10)m(-1) for paper and membrane filter, respectively for the entire range of pressure differentials. The corresponding variations in alpha were 2.162 x 10(12)-4.280 x 10(12) m/kg for paper filter and 2.144 x 10(12)-3.942 x 10(12) m/kg for membrane filter. Although the R-m values for corresponding pressure differentials were high for membrane filter, the values of alpha were comparable for both the systems. The deposited cakes were compressible with a compressibility factor of 0.4. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.