The state used wastewater treatment facilities to monitor coronavirus in wastewater. | Unsplash/Mufid Majnan
The state used wastewater treatment facilities to monitor coronavirus in wastewater. | Unsplash/Mufid Majnan
Wisconsin is gathering data for COVID-19 in a smelly way.
The state used wastewater treatment facilities to monitor coronavirus in wastewater.
“What they’re looking for is the novel coronavirus,” Tom Sigmund, executive director of NEW Water, said to WBAY.com. “If you’re infected or communities infected, you’ll start shedding the virus before you test positive.”
The data NEW Water collects is posted on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
“There have been times where testing has been in short supply so people may not be able to get access to a test,” said Dr. Jonathan Meiman, a chief medical officer with the Wisconsin DHS, according to WBAY.com. “This allows us to look at what’s going on in the community independent of what people are doing in terms of whether they’re getting tested or not.”
About 40 million gallons of wastewater are processed and treated every day.
“I think what locals are looking for is really just another data source, another way to confirm what they think they’re seeing in the communities that they can take action if it’s warranted in their own local community,” Dr. Meiman said to WBAY.com.
Wastewater tests could potentially be an early indication of another COVID-19 surge.
“If we have the potential to identify one day through wastewater, yet another tool in the tool belt,” Dr. Meiman said to WBAY.com.
NEW Water has no plans of stopping testing for the next year or longer. Interestingly, NEW Water can also process precious metals, WBAY.com reported.
For more information about NEW Water, visit its about page.
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