In this paper, we have performed an experimental study to simultaneously remove humic acid (RA) and heavy metals (Cu, Mn, and Zn) from the river water using potassium ferrate(VI), a multi-purpose and environment-friendly chemical. In the experiments for treating three 0.1 mM single heavy metals using 0.03${sim}$0.7 mM (as Fe) ferrate, the removal efficiencies ranged 28${sim}$99% for Cu, 22${sim}$73% for Mn, and 18${sim}$100% for Zn. In addition, humic acid and heavy metals could be very efficiently removed at the same time using 0.03${sim}$0.7 mM (as Fe) ferrate: for example, 49${sim}$81% (humic acid), 93${sim}$100% (Cu), 22${sim}$86% (Mn), and 20${sim}$100% (Zn). The removal efficiencies of humic acid and heavy metals in the mixture of humic acid and heavy metals were higher than that in the solution of single humic acid or heavy metal. It can be explained by the fact that, before adding ferrate to the mixed solution, part of solutes were already removed by the complexation between the negatively-charged functional groups of humic acid and heavy metal cations.