Halophenols are often reported as off-flavor causing compounds responsible for medicinal taste and odor episodes in drinking water. To better understand and minimize the formation of 2-bromophenol and 2,6-dibromophenol which have low odor threshold concentrations (OTCs, 30 and 0.5 ng/L, respectively) a kinetic data base for the chlorination and bromination of phenols was established by combination of kinetic measurements and data from literature.