High levels of tungsten in drinking water were detected in cities such as Fallon, NV and Sierra Vista, AZ. In addition, the highest rate of children leukemia cluster is observed in these two cities. Although there is no scientific evidence linking tungsten ingestion to high children leukemia cluster, local residences and authorities believe that the high tungsten level might be the main cause. Various techniques are available for the removal of heavy metals from contaminated water. However, the cost of these methods and the lack of information about tungsten limit their practical application. Therefore, the development of cost-effective removal methods are needed. In this work, clay coated with chitosan was synthesized and characterized and its efficacy to remove tungsten from water was investigated.