Wastewater Surveillance
Wastewater Surveillance
ABOUT
Wastewater Surveillance is an early detection system for infectious diseases and chemicals using sewer systems. Wastewater data compliments other public health surveillance data and can be used to identify communities at risk for certain diseases, outbreaks, and used to guide effective public health responses.
WATCH-WV (Wastewater Testing for Community Health in West Virginia) is a collaboration between the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health (BPH), Marshall University, and West Virginia University that routinely tests select wastewater from treatment facilities in WV for the presence of infectious diseases. West Virginia is part of the CDC National Wastewater Surveillance Program (NWSS) that monitors infectious diseases through wastewater across the country. Data from West Virginia are reported to CDC on a routine basis to help establish regional and national disease trends in wastewater.
Why is the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health monitoring wastewater?
To track infectious disease levels across West Virginia:
- Infected individuals shed pathogens into wastewater via toilets, sinks, or showers often before or without showing symptoms.
- Testing untreated samples from treatment facilities measures certain pathogens to determine community spread.
- Tracking trends over time enables prompt action when disease levels rise.
- Wastewater monitoring is an accurate, reliable, and cost effective surveillance method.
How does wastewater monitoring work?
West Virginia wastewater facilities perform weekly testing on untreated water for infectious diseases. There are 28 participating facilities serving approximately 404.137 residents (37% of the state) across 22 counties. Properties using private septic tanks or non-participating systems are excluded.
How can monitoring wastewater improve the health of West Virginians?
Wastewater monitoring can:
- Serve as an early warning of increasing disease levels in communities.
- Inform the public of current disease levels in their community so they can take steps to avoid illness.
- Alert public health departments and health care providers about increasing disease levels so they can prepare for surges in illness.
Resources
- WATCH-WV
- CDC-How Wastewater Monitoring Works
- CDC-Wastewater Monitoring Centers of Excellence
- To view National Levels of Covid-19, Influenza, RSV, measles, monkeypox and influenza A H5 (birdflu) in wastewater, visit CDC'S National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS).
Contact Us
Phone-304-558-5358 ext. 1
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