The present study focusses on enhancement of the performance of a continuous bipolar mode electrocoagulation (CBME) system for removal of total organic carbon (TOC) and total phosphorous (TP) from a palm oil mill effluent (POME). The study was conducted in two major steps. First study focused on optimization of various process variables of a CBME system to maximize the removal of TOC and TP. Second step involved enhancement of the process by following three different methods: 1. changing the electrical conductivity of the POME; 2. arranging three CBME systems in series; 3. incorporating an aeration system in the CBME chamber. CBME technology, when applied in series, showed higher removals of TOC (88.31%) and TP (91.1%) compared to the other approaches. CBME system in series can be a feasible option for enhancement of the performance of the process. © 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.