As set out in the Sustainable Development Goals, it is necessary to achieve universal and equitable access to safe drinking water services for all the world’s population. Appropriate water treatment alternatives for rural areas should be prioritised to achieve this goal. In this work, a simplified drinking water treatment system (SDWTS), which has great potential for application in small communities and rural areas, was evaluated on a pilot scale for turbidity and apparent colour removal using synthetic raw water. The SDWTS integrates Upflow Gravel Filter in Layers (UGFL) and Rapid Sand Filter (RSF) with previous coagulation. This evaluation was carried out using a 23 factorial experiment, with the factors: type of water, type of coagulant and flow. The factorial design showed that the SDWTS had the highest turbidity removal efficiencies (>98.7%) with type II (20 NTU) water and PACl coagulant, while flow rate had no significant effect on turbidity removal. Under optimal operating conditions (type II water, PACl and 1.0 m3/d), the SDWTS produces treated water that meets the standards required by Colombian regulations and World Health Organisation recommendations for drinking water, concerning the variables: turbidity, apparent colour, total coliforms, E. coli, pH, electrical conductivity and Al. The SDWTS maintained its capacity to produce potable water when evaluated with the increased operating flow (up to 3.0 m3/d) and raw water turbidity (up to 50 NTU). The SDWTS can be an efficient and innovative alternative for water treatment, and its implementation in small communities can contribute to equitable access to drinking water.