Surfactant enhanced carbon regeneration (SECR) was employed to regenerate a polymeric resin saturated with trichloroethylene (TCE), using an aqueous solution of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). More than 95% of the sorbed TCE was removed in the desorption operation with a 0.1 M SDS solution at a superficial flow rate of 1 cm/min. The desorption rate of TCE from pores of the resin is limited by the concentration of SDS in the regenerant and its flow rate. From the breakthrough curve of the subsequent adsorption cycle without a flushing step following the desorption, only 40% of the effective adsorption capacity of the virgin resin is observed for the regenerated resin. With a water flushing step following the surfactant regeneration step, the effective adsorption capacity is significantly improved to about 60% of that of the virgin resin. Thermal gravimetric analysis indicates that the reduction in the effective adsorption capacity of regenerated resin resulted from the residual SDS remaining in the pores of the resin. The regeneration step is equilibrium limited whereas the water flushing step is rate limited under the studied conditions. Despite the loss of subsequent cycle adsorption capacity, SECR may still be economical as an in-situ, low temperature regeneration method.