Wastewater-Based Epidemiology Update

The use of wastewater-based epidemi­ol­ogy (WBE) has expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, active WBE programs for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater are ongoing in more than 50 countries, including the U.S. Despite the tremendous amount of work being done in the WBE field, there are still many unanswered questions about the best way to implement these programs. Further, careful consid­er­a­tion should be given to how to interpret the wastewater data, translate the information into public health inter­ven­tions, and communicate with the public. Many of the techniques used for wastewater surveil­lance can also be used to ensure safety of indirect potable reuse (IPR) and direct potable reuse (DPR) projects.

• What We’ve Learned in the Past Year presented by Anna Mehrotra, PhD, PE (WEF)
• WBE Applic­a­bil­ity to Potable Reuse presented by Greta Zornes, PhD (New Orleans)