An analysis was made of the purification efficiency of three-component model solutions containing various amounts of iron, copper and nickel ions, and industrial wastewater containing the same amount of the above ions, using a sorbent obtained from sludge from a water treatment site. It has been established that in three-component model solutions, depending on the initial concentration, the efficiency of purification from iron ions is from 40 to 90 %, copper ions from 80 to 100 %, nickel ions from 90 to 100 %. In industrial wastewater, the efficiency of cleaning from iron ions is above 50 %, copper ions above 70 %, nickel ions from 60 to 80 %, depending on their initial concentration. It is shown that the use of this sorbent is promising for use in industrial enterprises both at the initial and final stages of wastewater treatment from iron, copper and nickel ions.