The invention relates to a process for eliminating nitrogenous organic compounds from a salt-containing water which contains more than 0.5% by weight of salt in the form of CaCl.sub.2 or NaCl, less than 200 ppm of dissolved carbonic acid or carbonates and more than 50 ppm of nitrogenous organic compounds, by treating the water by wet oxidation at a temperature of below 100.degree. C. with chlorine or a chlorine-containing oxidizing agent and feeding this, preferably after additional oxidation with a gaseous oxidizing agent and/or by adsorption with an adsorbent, to an electrolysis for producing chlorine and/or sodium hydroxide solution.