Is industrial waste contaminating your water supply? This paper examines industrial waste pollution in the Kano River basin, a main source of water for metropolitan Kano. It measures key pollution indicators in three rivers, assessing the suitability of the water for supply, irrigation, and fishing. The research identifies the Salanta river as receiving the highest pollution from industrial discharges. The rivers are being used extensively for water supply, irrigation, and fishing, the quality of the water was found to be unsuitable for these purposes. Waste water pre‐treatment by all industries is required. The study underscores the urgent need for waste water pre-treatment, direct charges on industrial effluents, and continuous monitoring to protect water resources in the basin. Waste water pre‐treatment by all industries, imposition of direct charges on industrial effluents by the regulating agency, as well as continuous monitoring and surveillance are required to ensure the protection of the water resources in the basin.