Few such filters have been used in the U.S. because the water sources tend to have fine clay that penetrates and clogs them. Sand adsorbs organic compounds on which microorganisms can feed. The highest nutrient concentration is right on the sand granules, so that is where the organisms grow. Microbial growth clogs filters and shortens the interval until cleaning. Too much head loss is the signal that cleaning is required.
Chlorination kills the microorganisms and keeps the filter going longer.
Time until cleaning is a matter of hours, not days. Smaller particles would pass though, so coagulation prior to filtration is mandatory. Filtration does not always perform satisfactorily. There is a crisis in the U.S. because of outbreaks of giardasis and cryptosporosis. The spores that cause crypto are fairly large and should not be difficult to remove by filtration, but some cities have encountered periods when their water supplies are unsafe.