In this work, Membrane Distillation (MD) in Direct Contact (DCMD) and Vacuum (VMD) configurations were applied for the Olive Mill Wastewater (OMWW) treatment, with the objective to obtain a purified stream to reuse, together with a concentrate rich in polyphenols. The experimental tests were carried out on capillary membranes using a membrane module realized in laboratory and equipped with three commercial polypropylene membranes (membrane pore size: 0.2 mu m, thickness: 0.4 mm, inner diameter: 1.8 mm, membrane area: around 30 cm(2)). The OMWW was frozen for its storage and, before experiments, simple filtration on single and multi-layer tissue were tested, to reduce membrane fouling during the process. The effect on the permeate flux and purity of the feed temperature (30-40-50 degrees C) for the DCMD and of the feed concentration for the VMD, was investigated. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.