sewage

An image from an electron microscope of the monkeypox virus (orange) on infected cells (green).

COVID sewage surveillance labs join the hunt for monkeypox

5:01am August 08, 2022

by Mark Kreidler

Wastewater testing has proved a reliable early alarm bell for COVID-19 outbreaks. U.S. researchers are now adapting the approach to track the explosive spread of monkeypox, and maybe other viruses.

The wastewater facility in San Jose, Calif., processes sewage from about 1.4 million people and 22,000 businesses. The facility is part of a network of communities testing their wastewater for the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Poop sleuths hunt for early signs of omicron in sewage

6:45pm December 09, 2021

by Raquel Maria Dillon

Scientists have identified the new coronavirus variant in wastewater in a few U.S. cities. This type of surveillance can help communities stay a step ahead of omicron's spread.

The East Bay Municipal Utility District wastewater treatment plant in Oakland, Calif. Stanford University researchers are testing sewage in hopes of tracking the emergence and spread of COVID-19 outbreaks.

How What You Flush Is Helping Track The Coronavirus

7:12pm May 07, 2020

by Lauren Sommer

Researchers are testing sewage in hopes of getting a jump on COVID-19 outbreaks in communities — monitoring for when they begin and how quickly they spread.

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Gabriel Toto is a bayakou, or latrine cleaner, in Haiti.

Even Researchers Were Shocked By How Tough Life Is For Sanitation Workers

10:00am November 17, 2019

by Nurith Aizenman

In lower-income countries, snakes, cow carcasses and collapsing walls are among the hazards faced by this critical but long-ignored group of workers.

Researchers tested sewage across Europe, including in Germany, where this treatment plant is located, for bacteria with resistance to antibiotics.

Scientists Look For Antibiotic-Resistant Germs In Raw Sewage

3:38pm March 27, 2019

by Jonathan Lambert

To track the spread of bacteria that resist antibiotics, researchers are trying wastewater testing to get a fast, accurate picture.

A fatberg measuring 210 ft. is blocking a sewer in the southwestern English town of Sidmouth. It will take a sewer team around eight weeks to dissect and dispose of the obstruction.

Massive Fatberg Found Blocking Sewer In British Seaside Town

6:45pm January 08, 2019

by Vanessa Romo

The giant clump of fat, oil and wet wipes lurking below the town of Sidmouth measures 210 feet, making it 42 feet longer than the White House. It will take about eight weeks to break it apart.

Tourists walk along a beach in Malay town, on the Philippine island Boracay, last week. President Duterte's decision to close Boracay has rocked the island. The Philippines is set to deploy hundreds of riot police to keep travelers out and head off potent

As Philippines Shuts Down A Popular Tourist Island, Residents Fear For Their Future

6:59pm April 25, 2018

by Michael Sullivan

President Rodrigo Duterte called Boracay island a "cesspool." It draws 2 million visitors a year but isn't equipped to accommodate them. Residents agree there's a problem, but worry about losing jobs.

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University of Puget Sound chemist Dan Burgard keeps a freezer full of archived samples from two wastewater treatment plants in western Washington in case he needs to rerun the samples or analyze a specific drug he didn't test for the first time.

Canada To Measure Marijuana Use By Testing Sewage

10:14am April 13, 2018

by Menaka Wilhelm

People responding to surveys sometimes misstate their drug use. Canada will check wastewater for traces of drugs to more accurately assess consumption.

After the 2010 earthquake, NGOs dumped hundreds of thousands of gallons of raw sewage at the end of the Port-au-Prince city landfill, which borders the sea and is not lined with an impermeable material.

Health & Safety

You Probably Don't Want To Know About Haiti's Sewage Problems

2:30pm July 29, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

What went wrong with Haiti's sanitation plan? The story involves the queen of Spain, the "sanitation champion" and the man with the worst job in the world.

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Farmer Efi Cohen inspects almond trees on a kibbutz south of Jerusalem. The Israeli government says it's safe to use treated sewage water to irrigate tree fruit, but not all crops.

Israel Bets On Recycled Water To Meet Its Growing Thirst

2:19pm June 23, 2015

by Emily Harris

Treated sewage water accounts for half the water used by Israel's farms. Entrepreneurs are experimenting with ways to cut costs and to ensure that the 86 percent of wastewater that's recycled is safe.

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