Shinta River receives two-point wastewater sources (brewery industrial and institutional wastewater). The aim of this study was to assess the effect of industrial and institutional wastewater on the water quality characteristics of Shinta river. The quality of water was described as physical, chemical and biological characteristics. Seven sampling points were spatially selected along the river and its tributary point sources. Both insitu and laboratory analysis were done to assess and investigate the change in the water quality characteristics of Shinta river resulted from the discharge of waste in to it. The water quality parameters result reveal that, Temperature, pH, Turbidity, EC, TDS, DO, BOD5, Nitrate, Phosphate and E. coli of industrial and domestic wastewater were selected for the analysis of river water quality. Turbidity, EC, TDS, DO, BOD5 and E. coli were measured higher concentration and above the permissible limits of Ethiopian EPA, (2003), USEPA, (2018) and WHO, (2011) with 176.55±48.84 NTU, 1734.09±481.64 µs/cm, 1204.33±305.81 mg/l, 1.99±0.094 mg/l, 243.25±28.73 mg/l and 727.75±191.79 MPN/100ml were measured at sampling point (SP2) except E. coli was measured at SP5, while Temperature, pH, Phosphate, and Nitrate were found within the permissible limits of Ethiopian EPA as the record show 28.08±0.29 °c, 7.71±0.19, 2.26±1.72 mg/l and 4.49±0.0.13 mg/l but temperature was above the permissible limit according to USEPA (2018), WHO (2011). The data collected from insitu and laboratory, were analyzed by using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) v20. The river in the downstream used by surrounding community for different purpose and suffer in different health problem. The disposal of industrial and institutional wastewater along with the sewage flow cause a serious threat to Shinta river during discharged in dry season, at low flow.