What is wastewater surveillance?
Wastewater is also known as sewage. It includes water that may contain human waste. Some examples include toilets, showers, sinks, and other household activities. Wastewater can also include rainwater and water used in industrial processes. Each wastewater treatment plant handles the sewage from buildings in the sewage system. All of this water flows to the same treatment plant. Some germs that make people sick end up in wastewater. We use wastewater testing to measure changes in germs and chemicals. This provides an early warning of infectious diseases in a community. This includes SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
All data are preliminary and subject to change.