The optical brighteners found in commercial laundry detergents will be used as fluorescent indicators for illegal and unknown sewage outflow in the Neponset River Watershed. Optical brighteners have a stilbene (C6H5CH=CHC6H5) foundation with various organic attachments depending on the specific detergent and can be seen as fluorescence in the UV portion of the spectrum at 430 nm. Analysis will include determining the detergent concentration in the outflow from front-loading washing machines, finding a method to remove optical brighteners adhered to cotton, and calculating the degradation rate of different optical brighteners when exposed to sunlight. Large scale implementation includes setting optical brighteners traps in small urbanized areas of the watershed. Bacteria levels will be determined through the use of the Colilert® system and sources of high bacteria levels and optical brighteners can possibly be tracked to illegal or unknown sewage hookups, storm drain cross-connection and/or faulty septic systems.