Wastewater Surveillance Resource Library
Wastewater surveillance is a rapidly evolving tool that can be used to test for SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens, serving as an early warning system for local health departments and government officials to identify and respond to public health threats in their communities. This toolkit contains background information on wastewater surveillance, guidance documents, communications materials, examples of dashboards, and more.
NACCHO works closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health department partners to develop resources on wastewater surveillance.
- Issue Brief: Strengthening Local Capacity for Wastewater Surveillance
- Infographic: Wastewater Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2
- Webinar Recording | Slides: Through COVID-19 and Beyond: The Roles of National & Local Wastewater Surveillance Systems (August 2022)
- Blog | Report | Interactive Overview: Wastewater-based Disease Surveillance for Public Health Action. The study was commissioned by NACCHO at the request of the CDC and the report and interactive overview were released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
| Resource Type | Resource Name | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting | Chautauqua County Weekly Wastewater Surveillance Update | An example of a weekly wastewater surveillance report for SARS-CoV-2 in Chautauqua County* | Click here to view |
| Communications | Chautauqua County Wastewater Surveillance Press Release | A template of a press release from Chautauqua County detailing wastewater surveillance process and updates.* | Click here to view |
| Reporting | Chautauqua COVID-19 Weekly Update | An example of a weekly update document containing the latest COVID case numbers, hospitalizations, vaccination numbers, etc.* | Click here to view |
| Legislation | Chautauqua Legislature Meeting on Wastewater Surveillance | Video of meeting where Chautauqua Co Legislature passed a resolution allowing wastewater surveillance, featuring voices of opposition and support for the resolution.* | Click here to view |
| Literature/Guidance | Strengthening Public Health Surveillance Through Wastewater Testing: An Essential Investment for the COVID-19 Pandemic and Future Health Threats (World Bank Group) | This report explores the value, potential, and challenges of wastewater testing for SARS-CoV-2 in Latin America and the Caribbean, including in areas without a sanitary sewerage system. Providing examples from across the world, the report also outlines what countries should consider in creating a national wastewater surveillance program as part of their broader efforts to control the impacts of COVID-19. | Click here to view |
| Literature/Guidance | Assessing SARS-CoV-2 Virus Levels in Sewage (EPA) | Information from the EPA on monitoring SARS-CoV-2 virus levels in wastewater in a community setting. The webpage has links to the Ohio Department of Health COVID-19 dashboard and a webinar about wastewater monitoring and how to link research and application to meet immediate needs. | Click here to view |
| Literature/Guidance | Developing a Flexible National Wastewater Surveillance System for COVID-19 and Beyond (Environmental Health Perspectives journal) | This paper discusses ways to transform the principles of wastewater surveillance into a tool for epidemic response. The paper provides a summary of lessons learned from a global network of wastewater researchers for effective implementation. | Click here to view |
| Data Visualization | Chautauqua County SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Analysis Dashboard | ArcGIS dashboard for wastewater surveillance updates. | Click here to view |
| Communications | Monitoring Wastewater to Inform COVID-19 Public Health Response (Healthy Davis Together) | Guidance and sample communications to support the implementation of wastewater monitoring and prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. | Click here to view |
| Literature/Guidance | National Wastewater Surveillance System (CDC) | The landing page for the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS), developed by CDC to build wastewater surveillance capacity nationwide. | Click here to view |
| Data Visualization | SARS-CoV-2 RNA Levels in Wastewater in the United States (CDC) | Maps, charts, and data representing all wastewater data submitted by health departments to CDC's National Wastewater Surveillance System's DCIPHER platform in efforts to identify, prevent, and control the spread of COVID-19. | Click here to view |
| Communications | Ohio Coronavirus Wastewater Monitoring Network (Ohio Department of Health) | Wastewater monitoring network toolkit for local health districts and local governments with templates for press releases, social media posts, and more. | Click here to view |
| Data Visualization | City of Tempe Wastewater Dashboard | In an effort to prevent and reduce the spread of COVID-19, the City of Tempe and Arizona State University have worked on creating a dashboard that displays emerging research about the "COVID-19 gene copies per liter" measured within collection areas throughout the city. | Click here to view |
| Data Visualization | North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Wastewater Monitoring Dashboard | To better understand the impacts of COVID-19 at the community level, NCDHHS is testing samples of wastewater from select wastewater treatment plants across the state to look for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. | Click here to view |
| Literature/Guidance | A Compendium of U.S. Wastewater Surveillance to Support COVID-19 Public Health Response (EPA) | This document created by the EPA summarizes the existing information on wastewater monitoring programs in the US. This document includes wastewater surveillance case studies from Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Wyoming, Hampton Roads Sanitation District (Virginia), Houston (Texas), Tempe (Arizona), Clemson University (South Carolina), and University of Arizona (Tucson). | Click here to view |
| Literature/Guidance | SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Surveillance Testing Guide For Public Health Laboratories | This document from the Association of Public Health Laboratories outlines information for how to establish wastewater testing in public health laboratories | Click here to view |
*Data shown is already available publicly.
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