The study determined the uptake of Hg and Pb in selected dominant macrophytes of the river namely Amaranthus spinosus, Eleusine indica and Pennisetum purpureum. The results contradicted initial findings that Pb is mostly accumulated in plant roots with minimal shoot translocation. The resultsalso showed that local macrophytes in Balili River, even if obnoxious weeds, are ecologically important and could be used for phytoremediation of local rivers that are recipient of small-scale mine tailings.