A three-month pilot program is underway to look for early signs of COVID-19 outbreaks in sewer water. It’s a dirty job, but testing wastewater is an effective way to get a jumpstart on slowing down community spread of the virus that is wreaking havoc on the world. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services have awarded around $10 million in federal CARES Act money to twenty recipients statewide to have their municipal wastewater tested for COVID. Twenty-nine health departments are participating in the study, including St. Clair County. According to EGLE and MDHHS, testing wastewater for viruses can be an effective tool for monitoring transmission. The virus is shed in human waste, including by people who are not ill or have not yet become ill. Once detected, local public health actions to prevent further spread in their communities can take place. A webpage with the results of the wastewater sampling is available to the public.
EGLE – State of Michigan COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance Pilot Project
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
