Water is an essential natural resource that sustains life. Its importance can therefore not be underestimated. Drinking water with poor quality has been linked to several diseases of man including diarrhea particularly in developing countries where availability of potable water is a big challenge. This article examined the quality of Ohii Miri River in Abia State, Nigeria which is a major source for drinking water by the people from communities along its coast with emphasis on the macro minerals content and bacteriological index of the water. The macro minerals (Ca, Mg, Na & K) of the water was found to be below the WHO minimum permissible limit whereas sediments from this river contained macro minerals in the WHO permissible limit range. Macro minerals were found to be higher in the dry season than in the rainy season in both water and sediment samples from Ohii Miri River. Bacteriological assessment revealed that Ohii Miri River is highly polluted with microorganisms and very unsafe as drinking water. E. coli has been confirmed to be present in the water.

Full text: IJEIR_1532_Final.pdf