Ion exchangers are widely used for water purification, both for process use and for boiler feedwater. But, impurities in the water fed to the exchangers can cause them to foul. The paper reviews a number of agents that can reduce the efficiency of cation and anion resins, and sometimes even clog the beds themselves. The discussion is presented under headings - causes and effects of resin fouling, iron, manganese, and copper as the most frequently encountered foulants; aluminum fouling; magnesium hydroxide, calcium sulfate and calcium carbonate fouling.