A new electrochemical method of oxygen removal has been developed in which oxygen-rich water flows through the three-dimensional cathode of an electrochemical cell. The cathode removes the dissolved oxygen from the water and the anode releases it as gas into the air. By this technique oxygen levels lower than 3 mu g oxygen per kilogram of water can be reached (starting level : oxygen-saturated water, 8000 mu g kg(-1)). This result is better than that obtained by physical methods and is equal to those obtained by chemical methods. Compared with conventional methods, the advantages of the electrochemical method are high efficiency, low energy consumption and avoidance of the use of toxic deoxygenation chemicals.