Wastewater discharge into freshwaters is a major source of pathogens. Relationship between bacterial pathogens in 3 paper mill effluents and recipient Owerrinta River was determined under standard microbiological analysis. The THBC of effluents and River ranged from 1.8 X 105 -7.2 X 106cfu/ml and 2.0 X 103 – 5.5 X 104 cfu/ml while the TCBC ranged from 3.1 X104 – 8.8 X 104 cfu/ml and 1.0 X 103 – 2.0 X 104 cfu/ml respectively. Trend in counts for effluents within samples was: Effluent I > Effluent – II > Effluent – III while within river samples was B > C > A. Isolates occurred thus: Escherichia coli (100%), Klebsiella spp. (83.3%), Shigella spp. (66.7%), Salmonella spp. (83.3%), Proteus spp. (33.3%), Pseudomonas spp. (83.3%), Staphylococcus spp. (66.7%), Bacillus spp. (100%), and Citrobacter spp. (11.1%). The effluents contributed to the bacterial load and presence of pathogens, and the counts were above established limits for drinking water.
