Single Drop Liquid phase microextraction-high performance liquid chromatography was established for the determination of pendimethalin in water. In order to optimize the experimental conditions, the effects of different extraction (extraction solvent, solvent volume, extraction time, stirring rates and temperature) and measuring conditions on detection of pendimethalin were investigated. Optimal experimental conditions were as follows: organic solvent, organic solvent volume, drop volume, stirring rate, solution temperature, and extraction time were: cyclohexane, 5 mu L, 2 mu L, 350 r/min, 35 degrees C and 35 min, respectively. The pendimethalin residues in the tap water and Tai lake were determined by this method. The relative standard deviations of the method ranged from 2.5% to 3.4% (n = 6), and the recoveries were 88.0% - 92.6%.