Wastewater monitoring has expanded since 2020 and is providing data on several infectious diseases, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A survey of public support found that the majority of adult U.S. residents (74.6%) strongly or somewhat support wastewater monitoring, and nearly all (95.3%) say they would take steps to protect themselves if wastewater monitoring data indicated disease transmission in their area.
Preventive health behaviors most likely to be considered included washing hands more frequently (76.1%), avoiding large gatherings (61.1%), and avoiding contact with people at high risk for infection-related complications (59.1%).
In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, CDC established a National Wastewater Surveillance System, which it later expanded to include data dashboards for pulmonary circulation and influenza A. Having wastewater data for infectious diseases readily available can help keep the public informed and encourage early adoption of preventive health behaviors, CDC said.
The CDC survey found that support for wastewater monitoring varied by race and ethnicity, but also by age, education, and marital status. However, respondents strongly or somewhat agreed (57.8%) that they would like to have wastewater data quickly available, even if there was insufficient information to determine public health risks or specific protective measures. Those most in favor of quick access to wastewater data were men, employed people, and people living in urban or suburban communities.
