EPA Research Partner Support Story: Monitoring levels of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage to assess community infection rate
Partners: Ohio Department of Health (DOH); Ohio EPA; Ohio Water Resources Center; Cincinnati Municipal Sewer District (MSD); Pickaway Correctional Institute (Orient, OH); Hamilton County Public Health; Cities of Batavia, Dayton, Hamilton, Marion, Portsmouth, and Springfield (OH)
Challenge: Understanding community infection rate of SARS-CoV-2
Resource: Monitoring levels of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage to assess community infection rate
Project Period: 2020 – 2022
EPA researchers partnered with the state of Ohio on a project to better understand how sewer monitoring data can help them develop and evaluate a model on community infection rates for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19). In collaboration with Cincinnati MSD and Hamilton County Public Health, EPA researchers identified areas of high community infection rates and collected corresponding samples within the sewer network. These sub-sewersheds corresponded to the Hamilton County zip codes where there were noted increases in new cases of COVID-19. EPA researchers worked with the Hamilton County Public Health to compile known COVID-19 cases by sewersheds to identify monitoring sites and assist with relating the sewer signal to known infection rates in the community.
“Our partnership with the US EPA has allowed us to broadly implement the innovative approach of collecting data from wastewater samples to prevent spread of COVID-19 across our state. Through this strong collaboration, we have been able to gain knowledge about the way the disease spreads, alert our communities about trends that could indicate cases are on the increase, help focus and prioritize testing and contact tracing resources, and serve as a model for other states.” – Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Health and Radiation Protection Assistant Chief Rebecca Fugitt
The initial pilot was later expanded into a state-level wastewater monitoring study, in collaboration with the Ohio Water Resources Center, Ohio EPA, and Ohio DOH. Network partners developed a list of sampling sites to capture Ohio’s six major metropolitan areas, as well as approximately 40 smaller cities encompassing different counties and eight preparedness regions. EPA researchers focused on sampling sites from the southwest portion of the state, including Cincinnati, Dayton, Hamilton, Springfield, Batavia, and Portsmouth. Researchers analyzed and shared data with Ohio DOH for the new state wastewater surveillance dashboard. In spring of 2021, researchers supporting the Ohio Wastewater Monitoring Network, including EPA researchers, began using high-throughput sequencing techniques to track SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in Ohio communities. This data is also available on Ohio’s website and is updated weekly. In July of 2022, all wastewater sampling and analysis to support the Ohio Network transitioned from 8 analytical labs distributed throughout the state to the Ohio’s public health lab. The state of Ohio continues to sample and track SARS-CoV-2, providing weekly updates to Ohio’s dashboard and the National Wastewater Surveillance System maintained at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and is displayed as part of the COVID Data Tracker. Ohio’s Wastewater Network is planning to expand monitoring for additional public health relevant microbes in Ohio wastewater, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus. Several manuscripts have been published as a result of this collaboration. EPA researchers have also met with the states of Arkansas and North Carolina and the City of Burlington, VT, to discuss methodologies and best practices used in the Ohio monitoring pilot.