Aim: A new procedure was developed to recover adenovirus 41 in small volumes (1 l) of water samples based on adsorption, elution and evaporation. Methods and Results: One litre of source water seeded with adenovirus 41 was adjusted to pH 3 center dot 5 and filtered using a large pore size (8 center dot 0 mu m) negatively charged membrane filter (SCWP, 47 mm diameter, made of mixed-cellulose esters). Then, the filter was eluted using 4 ml of 1 center dot 5% beef extract plus 0 center dot 75% glycerol (pH 9 center dot 0). The eluate was reconcentrated to 0 center dot 1 ml or less volumes through evaporation assisted with air flow and heating at 55 degrees C. Recovery of adenovirus 41 reached 55% under tested conditions and reduced filtration time by 85% in contrast to the widely used small pore size filter (0 center dot 45 mu m pore size, 47 mm diameter). Reconcentration by evaporation achieved approx. 86 center dot 8% recovery from source water in approx. 1 h at no cost. Conclusion: The virus concentration method developed in this study is simple and cost-effective and can be used to efficiently recover adenovirus 41 from turbid water samples. Significance and Impact of the Study: The procedure developed can be applied to detect adenovirus 41 in source water within hours of sampling. In addition, this is the first application of evaporation to concentrate viruses in water samples.