The current work targets the development of low-cost and biocompatible polymeric membranes with enhanced structural properties for improved water treatment characteristics. The work investigates to what extent the membrane preparation conditions affect the physical properties and the porous structure of the produced membranes. A series of cellulose acetate membranes was fabricated by means of phase inversion (using different speeds of film casting and different thicknesses of the casted solution) and introducing modifications in the preparation conditions such as the use of a coagulation bath instead of pure water and the addition of a surfactant as a solution additive. Both isotropic and anisotropic membranes could be fabricated by changing the preparation conditions. The membranes pore size, porosity and water permeability were found to be greatly influenced by the fabrication conditions. During the phase inversion process, the rate of demixing through different membrane thichnesses was found to have an effect on the membrane average porosity, pore size and water permeability. The coagulation of the membrane in a saturated salt bath decreased the main pore size in the range of 0.017 µm, as compared to 0.063 µm obtained for the membrane coagulated in a pure water bath. As a result, the unmodidifed membranes were working in the microfiltration range while the membranes prepared by salt coagulation bath were working in the ultrafiltration range. The effect of the membrane material and porous structure on the removal capacity towards different types of water contaminants was investigated, considering, as model dyes …