The feasibility of granular ferric hydroxide (GFH) for bromate removal from water has been studied. Batch experiments were performed to study the influence of various experimental parameters such as effect of contact time, initial bromate concentration, temperature, pH and effect of competing anions on bromate removal by GFH. The adsorption kinetics indicates that uptake rate of bromate was rapid at the beginning and 75% adsorption was completed in 5 min and equilibrium was achieved within 20 min. The sorption process was well described by pseudo-second-order kinetics. The maximum adsorption potential of GFH for bromate removal was 16.5 mg g(-1) at 25 degrees C. The adsorption data fitted well to the Langmuir model. The increase in OH peak and absence of Br-O bonding in FTIR spectra indicate that ion-exchange was the main mechanism during bromate sorption on GFH. The effects of competing anions and solution pHs (3-9) were negligible. Results of the present study suggest that GFH can be effectively utilized for bromate removal from drinking water.