In this work, the characterization of adsorption of Cu, Zn and Cd on granular activated carbon in water has been studied. The factors that affect adsorption in boundary between activated carbon and wastewater are concentration, temperature, contact time, pH and so on. As the result of this study, the maximum adsorption amount of Cu occurred near pH 7, while that of Zn and Cd was near pH 9.6 and 10, respectively. As contact time and temperature are transformed, such factors as optimum contact time and temperature are taken into consideration in an adsorptive process of heavy metal because an adsorption and a reducing process occur. In isotherm of Freundlich, 1/n values of Cu, Cd capacity were between 0.16 and 0.5.