According to the O'Neill report, by 2050, antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) are expected to cost $100 trillion in health care expenses and cause 10 million deaths per year, mostly children under the age of five. In addition, due to corroded metallic pipes, the water distribution systems in many countries are also contributing to our water contamination with ARBs. The established treatment technologies, such as chlorination, ozonation, are becoming ineffective or expensive at killing ARBs. There is a need for novel materials that can kill a diverse range of ARBs to provide access to safe water at the point of application. Herein, we report a new class of sorbents for capture and killing the ARBs in the wastewater. The antimicrobial sponges (AIMS) were fabricated by coating the commercial polyurethane sponges with biocidal nanomaterials and chemical functional groups. The porous structure and surface properties of the AIMS were evaluated using spectroscopy, chromatography, and tomography techniques. While the biocidal properties of the AIMS were evaluated using fluorescence and electron microscopy techniques. Due to the bio-adhesive properties, the AIMS could adsorb the pathogenic bacteria, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus, from nutrient-rich water with over 99% efficiency 12 times faster than the commercial activated carbon. The electron micrographs show cell walls of bacteria were intact in the water and at the pristine polyurethane surfaces but were ruptured at the AIMS surface. In the future, the AIMS will be evaluated with a wide range of pathogenic bacteria and viruses to determine their robustness for practical implementation. The materials and methods developed in this work will also have an impact on air filtration using polymers, such as masks and ventilation systems.