Surface water resources have been increasingly threatened of pollution in recent years due to management of vast amount of wastes generated by human activities. Fresh water resource, which are major source of water for drinking, irrigation and other domestic purpose are now major receptacle of treated and untreated industrial wastes. The quality of water usually described according to its physical, chemical and biological characteristics. Rapid industrialization, indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture and discharging of untreated sewage from the surrounding area are causing heavy and varied pollution in aquatic environment leading to deterioration of water quality. Due to use of contaminated water without efficient treatment, human population suffers from water borne diseases. It is therefore necessary to check the water quality at regular interval of time. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of untreated and partially treated industrial wastewater on surface water resource in and around Kombolcha, Amhara region. Six sampling sites were chosen spatially along the tributary of Borekena River and the River itself which were reflect the effect of untreated and partially treated industrial wastewater on the quality of Borekena River. The result of present study indicated that the significant pollution parameters include Turbidity, TSS, TDS, DO, BOD5, COD and phosphate with the mean concentration ranged from 45.27±6.0_ 302.00±10.56, 571.67±94.34_1633.33±175.46, 450.00±30_2422.33±431.2, 6.40±0.61 _2.77±0.35, 10±0_190±0, 34±0_508±0 and 12.93±4.41_329.33±43.03 mg/l respectively, which were above the permissible limits for ambient surface water quality set by Ethiopia Environmental Protection Authority. Whereas temperature, pH, EC, sulphate, and nitrate with mean concentration ranged from 14.95±1.39_20.95±0.94, 6.84±0.35_9.75±0.43, 0.92±0.27_ 9.07±0.43, 7±5.2_59.67±11.52 and 3.57±0.16_28.68±4.91 mg/l were found within the permissible limits for ambient surface water quality set by Ethiopia Environmental Protection Authority except pH at sampling point_3. Results from this study show that disposal of untreated and partially treated industrial wastewater along with the sewage flow causes a serious threat to surface water resources. The pollution of industrial wastewater is very high which causes environmental problems and affect aquatic organisms, plant, animal, and human life