Arsenic removal from water was investigated using activated carbon. The chemical activated carbon(CAC) prepared using H3PO4 from jute stick largely featured micropore structure with surface functionalgroups, while meso- and macropore structures were mainly developed in physical activated carbon(PAC). The CAC and PAC reduced arsenic concentration to 45 and 55 mg L-1, respectively, from100 mg L-1 while iron-loaded CAC reduced to 3 mg L-1, which is lower than the upper permissible limit(10 mg L-1). The micropore structure of CAC along with complexation affinity of iron species towardsarsenic species attributed to enhanced separation of arsenic.