A SBBR reactor using nitrate as an electron acceptor was operated under anaerobic/anoxic condition to prove the existence of denitrifying phosphate-accumulating organisms and to investigate their characteristics of denitrification and phosphorus removal. Dilution coating method and plat streaking method were used for the separation and purification of denitrifying phosphate-accumulating organisms from sludge extracted on the stable operation duration. Metachromatic granules staining test, gram staining test and nitrate reduction test were used for the identification of purified strains. In this study, three screened strains, which were capable of denitrification and phosphorus removal, all had black metachromatic granules inside and showed negative reactions to Gram staining test. The nitrate removal rate of three strains was 75.82%,78.26% and 62.84%,respectively. It is proved that there were a large amount of denitrifying phosphate-accumulating organisms in SBBR denitrifying phosphorus removal system and the organisms had good performance on phosphorus storage and denitrifying nitrogen removal.