In this study antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli from household water collected in Hafr AlBatin, Saudi Arabia, were characterized by prevalence of extended spectrum betalactamase (ESBL). Samples were collected from drinking and washing water at 12 locations. From the 144 samples obtained, Millipore membrane filters incubated on trypton soya agar plates produced colonies that yielded 34 isolates of E. coli as verified by biochemical tests. Isolates suspected ESBL producing were tested by using MicroScan analysis and disc diffusion test as ESBL phenotypic confirmatory methods. Phenotypically confirmed ESBL isolates were examined for antimicrobial susceptibility against 30 antibiotics and amplification of blaVEM, blaCTX, blaTEM, blaGES and blaSHV genes by polymerase chain reaction. Out of 34 E. coli isolates, only 6 (17.6%) were positive for ESBL producing according to MicroScan analysis. Disk diffusion as a confirmatory test indicates sensitivity of MicroScan system. PCR results indicated that the VEB was the most prevalent (83.3%) followed by CTX gene (16.6%) between these isolates. The ESBL-producing E. coli isolates was fully susceptible to pip/tazo (100%) and fully resistance to ampicillin, cefazolin and pepracillin (100%). This study showed that ESBL-producing E. coli are multidrug-resistant and existent in Hafr Al Batin’s water. Also, data indicated that wastewater maybe contributes as a source and reservoir of antibiotic resistance.