Potassium ferrate (Fe(VI)) was prepared by using purified sodium hypochlorite solution, iron(III) nitrate, potassium hydroxide. The removal performance of the tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) in water by using potassium ferrate was investigated. The effects of dosage of ferrate, pH value, oxidizing time on the removal rate of TC were studied. It is found that the optimal pH value range for TC degradation is 9~10, and TC could be removed by ferrate efficiently and quickly. The removal efficiency of TC and reaction rate were increased with lager dose of ferrate. The major degradation of TC occurred during the first 60s, followed by further degradation over next 10~20 min. At Fe(VI)∶TC molar ratios of 1∶1 and 1∶5, approximately 100 % of the TC was removed after 60 s. Only a small reduction of TC occurred in spite of quick conversion of TC, implicating that a majority of TC transformed into intermediate products without complete mineralization.