Membrane bioreactors for wastewater treatment must operate for long periods without chemical cleaning. This study investigates the critical flux concept introduced by Field et al. as a means for achieving this goal. We conducted two series of tests: at fixed transmembrane pressure(TMP) and at fixed permeate flux, set by a volumetric pump on the permeate. Comparison of constant pressure and constants flux tests under same conditions showed that the critical flux is almost identical to the limiting or pressure independent flux obtained in constant pressure. More generally, constant flux procedure below the critical flux avoids overfouling of the membrane in the initial stage and is more advantageous for membrane bioreactor operation.