The invention discloses a water treatment material and a method for purifying water by the water treatment material. The water treatment material comprises the following components by weight: 7-12 parts of negative potential bead, 2-5 parts of medical stone granule, 2-5 parts of calcium sulfite granule, 5-8 parts of tomalin anion sphere, 0.1-0.5 parts of microporous calcium ion sphere and 8-12 parts of active carbon. The method comprises the steps as follows: placing the water treatment material into a hollow barrel-shaped container for water treatment, inflowing water from a bottom inlet of the container, and outflowing the water from an upper outlet; or placing the water treatment material into a container with small holes on walls, and soaking the container into the water so as to purify the water. According to the water treatment material, the material proportion is reasonable, a treatment method is simple and easy to implement, a water purifying process is shortened, equipment is simplified, effects of decontaminating, deodorizing, decolorizing and activating water are obtained at the same time, residual chlorine in water can be removed, heavy metal and impurities can be adsorbed, water is enriched with oxygen, mineral scales are reduced, microorganism reproduction is inhibited, and bacteria are strongly adsorbed. The method is efficient, stable, safe, and wide in application range.