The aim of this study was to isolate microorganisms capable of decolourizing and degrading anaerobically treated distillery spent wash. A bacterial consortium DMC comprising of three bacterial cultures was selected on the basis of rapid effluent decolourization and degradation, which exhibited 67 +/- 2% decolourization within 24 h and 51 +/- 2% chemical oxygen demand reduction within 72 h when incubated at 37 degrees C under static condition in effluent supplemented with 0.5% glucose, 0.1% KH2PO4, 0.05% KCl and 0.05% MgSO4 center dot 7H(2)O. Addition of organic or inorganic nitrogen sources did not support decolourization. The cultures were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, Stenotrophomonas maltophila and Proteus mirabilis by the 16S rDNA analysis. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.