The increasing impact of human activities on the freshwater bodies of Ethiopia calls for efficient and costrneffective method for water quality and ecological health assessment. Benthic macroinvertebrates arernimportant group of aquatic invertebrates to show the level of degradation of aquatic ecosystems and inrnthis study they were used to assess the impact of different stressors originating from industries (tannery,rnalcohol, brewery and textile factories) and agricultural activities on streams and rivers around Sebeta. Arntotal of 27 benthic macroinvertebrates taxa (20 families, 1 genus and 6 species) were collected from ninernsampling sites in four streams, representing different anthropogenic activates. From these, FamilyrnPlanariidae, Caenidae, Baetidea, Hydropsychidae, Gyrinidae, Dystiscidae, Hydrophilidae, Naucoridae andrnCorixidae were distributed mostly from reference site to minimally impacted upstream sampling sites andrnconsidered as indicators of minimally impacted streams and rivers. Family Syrphidae and Thiaridae wererndominant in streams with high turbidity and can be an indicator of turbid streams and rivers. FamilyrnChironomidae, Lymnaeidae and Oligochaeta were dominant in highly polluted sites (brewery and textilerneffluent receiving sites) and can be indicator of highly polluted streams and rivers. From lower taxonomicrnlevel of Family Chironomidae, Chironomus alluaudi and Chironomus imicola were dominant in highlyrnpolluted sites (brewery and textile effluent receiving sites), and considered as an indicator of highlyrnpolluted streams and rivers. The distribution of Polypedilum wittei, Polypedilum bipustulatem andrnDicrotendipus septemmaculatus were high in moderately impacted sites and considered as indicators ofrnmoderately polluted streams and rivers. The genus Conchapelopia and Chironomus cliptres were mostlyrndistributed in reference and less impacted upstream sampling sites and can be indicators of good waterrnquality. Metrics composed of sensitive group of taxa (No. of Ephemeroptera, No. CET and %ET) werernable to differentiate reference sites, agricultural impacted sites and some instream activitiesrn(washing/bathing and cattle watering site). Metrics composed of tolerant taxa like number of Oligochaetarnindividual and %Diptera individual distinguish highly impacting industrial stressors (tannery, beer, textilernand alcohol). Margalefs index may detect toxic effect of industrial wastes in addition to organic pollution.rnTotal number of ind/m2, number of Taxa (Family), ETHbios, and FBI were able to segregate stressorsrnoriginated from different sources (agriculture, washing/bathing and industries). Freshwater bodies arernhighly deteriorated and research should focus on waste water treatment technologies and adequate wasterntreatment structures must be put in place at the industries and factories located along streams and riversrnaround Sebeta.rnKey words: Bioindicator, Benthic macroinvertebrate, Chironomidae, Sebeta, Stressor