Guelph wastewater testing will continue for COVID-19 and more by university researchers
Testing a 'low-cost and effective tool for detecting seasonal viruses and potential new threats': Researcher
Wastewater in Guelph will continue to be monitored for COVID-19, influenza and other illnesses through a new partnership between researchers at the University of Guelph and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.
The researchers will get samples of wastewater three times a week, then will submit their findings to public health, which will in turn publish it to a public online dashboard.
Provincial funding for wastewater testing was cut on July 31 with the Ontario government citing a federal program that tests wastewater; however, none of the testing sites are in Waterloo region or Guelph.
The project at the university is being led by Lawrence Goodridge, the Canada research chair in foodborne pathogen dynamics and a professor in the department of food science, and Marc Habash, a school of environmental sciences professor.
"Wastewater surveillance has been repeatedly demonstrated as a low-cost and effective tool for detecting seasonal viruses and potential new threats," Goodridge said in a media release.
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The project will be funded using grant money from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canada Research Chair program and INSPIRE, a $15-million university initiative to find ways to prepare the country for the next pandemic.
Dr. Nicola Mercer is the medical officer of health and CEO of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health and says wastewater testing is "a key tool in protecting the health of our region."
"Having access to this information lets all of us — from health care organizations to individuals — better understand our risk and make decisions that impact our health," Mercer said in the release.
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