In the title compound, 2C(8)H(9)BrO(2)·H(2)O, the O-C-C-C torsion angles for the hy-droxy-ethyl group and the Br-C-C-O torsion angles involving bromo and phenol groups are 61.7 (11) and 0.7 (12)°, respectively, in one independent mol-ecule and 61.5 (11) and 0.2 (11)°, respectively, in the other. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked through O-H⋯O and O-H⋯Br hydrogen bonds, forming a polymeric chain.