A simple and inexpensive method for determining chromium (VI) in drinking water by spectrophotometry after preconcentration with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) coated alumina column is described. Chromium(VI) is reacted with diphenylcarbazide (DPC) and the Cr-DPC complex is quantitatively adsorbed onto a SDS coated alumina column from 800 ml of sample solution. The complex is then eluted with a 8 ml mixture of methanol, acetone and hydrochloric acid and determined by spectrophotometry. Total chromium can be determined after oxidation of chromium (III) to chromium (VI) by KMnO4. The relative standard deviation (10 replicate analyses) at the 10 μg l−1of chromium (VI) and 10 μg l−1of total chromium were 3.5% and 3.4% and corresponding limits of detection (based on 3 σ) were 0.040 μg l−1and 0.033 μg l−1, respectively.