In order to explore the influence of the rotation of the mesh cylinder on delaying the clogging of the filter and the factors affecting the rotational speed, indoor physical model tests were carried out under the conditions of different flow rate and sediment content, and the variation of rotational speed with the filtration time and its influencing factors were analyzed. The test results show that the rotational speed of the mesh cylinder increases with the increase of flow rate, but the increase under muddy water condition is much lower than that under clean water condition, and the sand content also has an important effect on the rotational speed of the mesh cylinder. With the increase of the flow rate, the rotational speed of the mesh cylinder increases at the initial moment, and the duration of the rotation of the mesh cylinder is prolonged. On the contrary, the rotational speed of the mesh cylinder gradually decreases with the increase of the sand content. The larger the sand content, the lower the rotational speed of the mesh cylinder at the initial moment, the faster the rotational speed drop of the mesh cylinder, so the termination time of the rotation is brought forward. The analysis suggests that the combined effect of influent flow and sediment content causes changes in rotational speed. According to the comparative analysis of the sediment quality in the filter tank, it can be known that the rotation of the mesh cylinder is conducive to delaying clogging and improving filtration efficiency. Therefore, in practical engineering, the rotation of the mesh cylinder can be taken advantage of in order to delay the clogging.