<p>The high cost of commercial ceramic membrane and need for sustainable wastewater technologies have driven interest towards low-cost, locally sourced alternatives for ceramic membrane fabrication. This work describes the fabrication of an efficient, negatively charged ceramic membrane using naturally available raw materials for microfiltration applications. Flat disk negatively charged ceramic membrane was fabricated using dry molding under uniform compaction. Natural clay served as a primary raw material, combined with kaolin and fuller’s earth clay. The membranes were sintered at 900 ˚C, 1000 ˚C and 1100 ˚C for 8&#xa0;h. Performance was assessed through filtration of real sewage treatment plant effluent, analyzed on the same day to preserve actual water quality conditions. Key properties such as porosity, chemical resistance, and permeability were evaluated. The membrane sintered at 900 ˚C, which exhibits optimal properties, was selected for further investigations. The fabricated membrane achieved a porosity of 47.5% and an average pore radius of 0.58&#xa0;μm. It demonstrated a high permeability of 1457&#xa0;L/hr.m².bar and maintained a stable negative charge across all pH levels. The membrane exhibits excellent chemical resistance and achieved 76.23% removal of turbidity along with other major pollutants. The fabricated membrane offers a low cost, effective solution for microfiltration of wastewater. Its favorable physical properties, chemical stability and filtration performance suggest its potential use in non-potable water applications, supporting sustainable and decentralized water treatment initiatives.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>