During recent years the air stripping process has been increasingly applied to the cleaning of water contaminated by volatile organic compounds (VOC). The present contribution compares various methods of treating VOC-contaminated water, with a special focus on removal efficiency and economic aspects. In particular, air stripping, a universally used cleaning method, is described in greater detail. Design and operational aspects are worked out for packed stripping towers for the special case of water contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons. Experimental results substantiate predictions of various operating conditions, packing types and scale-up effects.