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Abstract Subsurface arsenic (As) removal has been proposed for in situ immobilizing As in aquifers at a low cost and without post-disposal of As-containing wastes. However, the results reported for field tests are very limited, particularly when high As, phosphate (P) and iron (Fe) coexist in the groundwater. Herein the performance of single- and multiple-well operations was evaluated for in situ removing groundwater As in Jianghan Plain, central China. To enhance groundwater oxygenation, in-well electrolysis was employed in both operation modes. The groundwater in confined aquifer in Jianghan Plain contains elevated concentrations of As (272–606 μg/L), Fe2+ (4.7–14.3 mg/L) and P (0.90–1.58 mg/L). In the single-well operation with cycles of injection and abstraction, groundwater Fe2+ was completely removed but As cannot be reduced to below the World Health Organization guideline (10 μg/L) due to the high concentration and the competition of coexisting P. In-well electrolysis is cost-effective for boosting dissolved oxygen (DO) and Fe2+ removal in single-well operations. In the multiple-well operation with one abstraction well surrounded by 6 in-well electrolysis wells, removals of groundwater As, Fe, P and Mn were not sufficient because of clogging of treatment wells and incomplete capture of groundwater flowing to the abstraction well. In comparison, single-well operation is more simple and efficient for in situ treatment of groundwater As and Fe than multiple-well operation. This study provides a field example of in situ removing high As in groundwater by both single- and multiple-well operations, and underscores the difficulty in treating the groundwater with coexistence of elevated As and P. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Both single- and multiple-well operations were performed in the Jianghan Plain. • In-well electrolysis was applied in multiple-well operation for oxygenation. • Single-well operation enabled the aquifer to remove Fe effectively. • Multiple-well operation removed groundwater As by about 58% before clogging. • Clogging occurred likely on the well screen rather than in the surrounding aquifer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]