Fecal contamination of water is a significant public health concern. The primary objective of this proposal is to determine the usefulness of adenovirus as an indicator of fecal contamination and its potential for fecal sourcetracking. This objective will be addressed by the following aims: (1) to improve upon and validate a PCR algorithm to detect human and animal adenoviruses in fecal waste and water, (2) to conduct surveys of adenoviruses in cattle and swine stool in order to determine the usefulness of adenovirus as a source-tracking organism, and (3) to estimate the prevalence of human and animal adenoviruses at impaired and transitional Iowa beaches and to identify parameters associated with adenovirus in surface water. Results from this study will be used to further develop rapid methods to detect adenoviruses in water and accurately identify sources of contamination which would be informative to risk assessment and risk management practices. Technical Report Available.