The quality of the used drinking water is very important for maintaining the health of people. An important direction for improving the quality of drinking water is applying of the activated carbons at different stages of water treatment. This includes a complex research concerning the testing of a broad spectrum of carbonaceous adsorbents for removal of pollutants from water. Carbonaceous adsorbents used for drinking water treatment must follow several requirements: to not contain foreign substances on their surface that could be eliminated in water; to not create a hydraulic resistance to water filtration; to possess an increased thermal and mechanical resistance; to possess an advanced adsorption capacity for pollutants; to be easily renewable; to have low cost. Earlier researches highlight the role of functional groups on the surface of carbonaceous adsorbents, the influence of acidic/basic properties, the content of hetero-atoms (e.g. nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus) or metals (e.g. iron, copper, nickel, manganese) on the removal of pollutants from water. Comparative analysis of carbonaceous adsorbents reveals the importance surface chemistry for oxidation of nitrite ions. A good agreement between adsorption capacity of nitrogen enriched carbonaceous adsorbents for the adsorption of fluoride ions and the content of basic groups on the adsorbents surface has been established.