The invention relates to water treatment technologies employing sorbents. A method for obtaining a sorbent that contains thermally treated illite and activated carbon in the form of chaolite or graphite is provided. The sorbent can be obtained by fast thermal treatment at temperature of 800–900 °C and by use of illite containing raw clay with iron oxide content of 6–9 %, and by use of organic additives in the amount of 20–30 wt. %. The obtained sorbent can be used in water treatment technologies in form of pellets or in crumbled form. The sorbent exhibits good wettability with water and is readily detachable from the liquid, and can be recovered.