A new model for the excess Gibbs energy of aqueous solutions of polyelectrolytes is presented and applied for the correlation of the activity of water in aqueous solutions of polyelectrolytes without as well as with an added (single) salt. The model considers the phenomenon of counterion condensation, i.e., the partial dissociation of highly charged polyelectrolytes in water. Three parameters (a binary interaction parameter between polymer segments, the equilibrium constant of the dissociation reaction and a parameter which accounts for the polymer configuration) were fitted to the experimental results. The model allows for a reliable correlation of experimental results for the osmotic coefficient of aqueous solutions of a single polyelectrolyte (without as well as with an added salt). (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.