Various industrially and environmentally important trace contaminants in water and wastewater bodies are anionic ligands, namely, phosphate, selenite, arsenate, sulfide, phthalate, oxalate, ethylenediaminetetraacetate, cyanide, and a ho st of organic derivatives. Traditional sorbents such as activated carbons, ion exchangers, iron oxyhydroxides, etc. are not effective for selective sorption of the foregoing contaminants. This study reports the results and underlying sorption mechanisms of a tailored polymeric ligand exchanger (PLE) which shows very high affinities toward phosphate, selenite, and oxalate. The polymeric ligand exchanger used in the study is essentially a copper(II)-loaded specialty chelating polymer, and its preference toward anionic ligands is attributed to concurrent electrostatic and Lewis acid-base type interactions. PLE is also amenable to efficient regeneration with brine, and more than 90% phosphate was recovered in less than 10 bed volumes.