In the crystal structure of the title compound, {[Cd(C(2)Cl(3)O(2))(2)(C(12)H(10)N(2))(2)]·H(2)O}(n), the Cd(II) ion lies on a twofold rotation axis and 1,2-bis-(4-pyrid-yl)ethene ligands bridge symmetry-related Cd(II) ions, forming a two-dimensional structure. Two trichloro-acetate ligands complete the coordination around the Cd(II )ion, forming a distorted octa-hedral environment. In the crystal, solvent water mol-ecules, which also lie on twofold rotation axes, form inter-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, which connect the two-dimensional structure into a three-dimensional network. The crystal studied was an inversion twin, the refined ratio of twin components being 0.75 (4):0.25 (4).