Using Wastewater to Detect COVID-19 and other Pathogens

Expanding Access to a Public Disease

Detection Tool

Since the pandemic, wastewater monitoring has emerged as a proven public health tool that can provide a community-level view of RSV, flu, COVID-19, norovirus, and other infectious diseases. Scientists test samples collected from a community’s wastewater (or sewage), watch for changes in the levels of the viruses being monitored, and share the results to help inform public health decision-making and protect community health.

WastewaterSCAN is a national wastewater monitoring program based at Stanford University in partnership with Emory University. Since its launch in 2020, WastewaterSCAN has expanded early detection and monitoring services that support city leaders and public health officials in critical, equitable decision-making for ongoing and future infectious disease outbreaks. WastewaterSCAN’s results are shared with local officials and the public via their data dashboard.

The National League of Cities (NLC) has been WastewaterSCAN’s capacity-building partner since 2022. NLC’s partnership with WastewaterSCAN is a natural extension of our ongoing work to help city officials protect the health and safety of communities across the country.