Pilot Programs for Rapid, Onsite Wastewater Testing
Last updated September 27, 2023
Analysis of wastewater samples for wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) programs is typically the domain of public health and commercial laboratories. However, for some remote communities and institutions, shipping samples to an offsite laboratory can pose logistical challenges and prevent rapid turnaround of test results. Rapid WBS testing methods that can be used on site — such as at a rural water resource recovery facility (WRRF), a remote community septic system, or an isolated correctional facility — have the potential to provide more timely data to clinical and public health professionals in these locations. With funding from the U.S. CDC, WEF has managed two pilot programs to evaluate rapid wastewater testing methods for SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens.
The first pilot program, implemented in 2021 and 2022, focused on evaluating the use of onsite wastewater testing for SARS-CoV-2 to supplement case surveillance data and possibly provide an early warning for COVID outbreaks in correctional facilities. A total of 18 correctional facilities across four states participated in the pilot, with an average participation duration of 25 weeks (range: 16 to 32) and an average of 44 tests performed per site (range: 14 to 126). Correctional facility staff and/or residents at each facility used a magnetic bead-based method to concentrate wastewater samples and extract SARS-CoV-2 RNA before quantifying it with RT-qPCR.
Read more about the lessons learned from this program here: Summary Report: Pilot Program for Onsite Testing of SARS-CoV-2 in Correctional Facility Wastewater.
The second pilot program is ongoing, and we expect it to wrap up by the end of 2023. This program involves rapid PCR testing of wastewater for SARS-CoV-2, influenza A and B, and RSV at seven sites across five states, including WRRFs, correctional facilities, and nursing homes. The testing is being performed by wastewater operators, health department laboratory specialists, and college students using the Cepheid GeneXpert technology, which yields quantitative results from 300 uL of wastewater within 45 minutes (including about five minutes of hands-on time). The GeneXpert was one of the winners of WEF’s Rapid Wastewater SARS-CoV-2 Testing Challenge, held in early 2022.
Watch the video for a description of how the GeneXpert works. And email us with any questions about the GeneXpert pilot, or to request to be notified when the report is available.