Several approaches of hydrogenotrophic denitrification of potable water as well as technical data and mathematical models that were developed for the process are reviewed. Most of the applications that were tested for hydrogenotrophic process achieved great efficiency, high denitrification rates, and operational simplicity. Moreover, this paper reviews the variety of reactor configurations that have been used for hydrogen gas generation and efficient hydrogen delivery. Microbial communities and species that participate in the denitrification process are also reported. The variation of nitrate concentration, pH, temperature, alkalinity, carbon and microbial acclimation was found to affect the denitrification rates. The main results regarding research progress on hydrogenotrophic denitrification are evaluated. Finally, the commonly used models and simulation approaches are discussed. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.