Environmental virology began with efforts to detect poliovirus in sewage and water more than 50 years ago. Since that time, cell-culture methods useful for detection of enteroviruses have been replaced by molecular biology techniques for detection of pathogens (poliovirus, cockackie A/B, echoviruses, enteroviruses, and Hepatitis A virus) that do not grow in cell culture or grow with great difficulty. Amplification of viral nucleic acid using PCR is the current method. In addition, researchers have proposed the use of monoclonal antibodies in a fluorescent antibody assay as a rapid method of detection. The objective of this study is to examine and compare both current methodologies and determine the best method for the identification of the enterovirus group from environmental samples.