Wastewater surveillance program to track COVID-19
HOUSTON – Harris County Public Health (HCPH) launched a new online dashboard as part of a program to expand wastewater testing for the COVID-19 virus in Harris County outside the City of Houston.
HCPH’s new dashboard will give community members in Harris County the opportunity to identify COVID-19 viral presence in their communities and make informed decisions to protect themselves from the virus. Community members can view the COVID-19 wastewater monitoring dashboard at hcphtx.org/Wastewater.
HCPH’s Wastewater Surveillance Program, which began as a pilot in 2023, collects samples twice a week from 27 wastewater sites. The program is funded by the CDC Embrace HOPE grant and Harris County Commercial Paper funds. The Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute (TEPHI), in collaboration with UTHealth Houston, Baylor College of Medicine, and the Houston Health Department, performs laboratory analysis for submitted samples.
“Although the national emergency response to COVID-19 officially ended two years ago, the SARS-CoV-2 virus remains a continued presence in our community, and new variants can emerge at any time,” said Jennifer Kiger, Director of HCPH’s Office of Epidemiology, Surveillance, and Emerging Diseases. “We plan to strengthen our partnership and resources with the local Municipal Utility Districts so that we can empower all communities within our county to prepare for future threats of disease.”
People infected with COVID-19 shed viral particles in their feces. By testing the wastewater, HCPH can see whether levels of the virus in that community are increasing, decreasing, or staying the same. Each Municipal Utility District (MUD) is responsible for providing water, drainage, and sewage services to the community within its boundaries.
HCPH is looking to expand to new sites and sample for other pathogens, such as RSV or seasonal flu. The department’s long-term goal is to conduct wastewater testing for multiple pathogens in at least 50 wastewater treatment sites throughout Harris County.
HCPH recommends that community members stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. For vaccination appointments and other information, visit www.hcphtx.org/Vaccines or call (832) 927-7350.