Among the different techniques for removal of heavy metals from waste waters filtration is a viable process. In order to investigate the feasibility of sand–soil–organic matter filter column for removal of Ni and Zn from industrial waste water, two soils (calcareous and non calcareous), two soil heights (2.5 and 5 cm), two organic matters (rice husk and leaf compost), and two waste waters (natural and synthetic) were used in greenhouse experiment with a completely randomized design with 16 treatments and 4replicates. P.V.C tubes (columns) were filled from bottom to top by coarse gravel, sand, soil, organic matter, and fine gravel, respectively. Then, 1100 ml of industrial waste water containing nickel and zinc were added to the filter column and 30 ml of leachate were collected and transferred to the laboratory for measurement of metal concentrations by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The experiment was repeated at nine pore volumes. The results showed that the sand-calcareous soil with 2.5 cm height-leaf compost-synthetic waste water, sand-calcareous soil with 2.5 cm height-leaf compost-natural waste water and sand-non calcareous soil with 5 cm height-leaf compost-natural waste water filters columns could adsorb Ni and Zn from industrial waste water. Adsorption percent of Ni and Zn by the filters were 76.8 and 97.7 in all pore volumes, respectively.

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