Federal Coordination and Partnering for Wastewater Surveillance
Wastewater (i.e., sewage) testing for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) can be helpful to public health agencies and government officials as a novel complement to existing COVID-19 surveillance systems. Since SARS-CoV-2 can be shed in the feces of people with symptomatic or asymptomatic infection, wastewater surveillance can capture data on both types of infection. In addition, depending on the frequency of testing, sewage surveillance can be a leading indicator of changes in COVID-19 burden in a community. Agencies across the federal government are partnering to support coordinated federal efforts, including management and operations, to assist state, tribal, local, and territorial communities to implement procedures for wastewater-based COVID-19 disease surveillance (see Federal Partnering Framework for Wastewater Surveillance graphic).
National Sewage Surveillance Interagency Leadership Committee
To facilitate federal coordination, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CDC have convened the National Sewage Surveillance Interagency Leadership (NSSIL) Committee. NSSIL member agencies support CDC in developing and implementing the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) to collect, analyze, and integrate wastewater-based COVID-19 data with COVID-19 case and syndromic data to assist state and local partners to make response decisions.
The NSSIL Committee is made up of representatives from the following federal agencies:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Department of Health and Human Servicesexternal icon (HHS)
- Environmental Protection Agencyexternal icon (EPA)
- Department of Homeland Securityexternal icon (DHS)
- Department of Defenseexternal icon (DoD)
- United States Geological Surveyexternal icon (USGS)
- National Institutes of Healthexternal icon (NIH)
- National Science Foundationexternal icon (NSF)
- Department of Veterans Affairsexternal icon (VA)
Since July 29, 2020, the Committee has met monthly to exchange information and discuss federal agency-specific missions, roles, activities, and stakeholder engagement related to wastewater-based COVID-19 disease surveillance. The NSSIL Committee also encompasses federal interagency workgroups and functional subunits, including:
- Implementation and Planning Workgroup
- Develops and implements the National Wastewater Surveillance System, sewage sampling and testing capacity, and guidance documents for sewage sampling, testing, and data interpretation for public health action
- Member agencies: CDC, EPA, DoD, DHS, USGS, NIH, VA
- Science & Technology Evaluation for Practice Workgroup
- Shares information to prioritize and coordinate federal research and development activities on SARS-CoV-2 wastewater sampling, testing, and data interpretation; organizes scientific forums for the public and partner organizations
- Member agencies: CDC, EPA, DHS, DoD, NIH, NSF, USGS, National Institute of Standards and Technologyexternal icon (NIST)
- Wastewater Testing Surge Capacity
- Provides timely, as-needed wastewater testing capacity
- Member agencies: CDC, USGS
The federal government is also coordinating with non-governmental stakeholders including:
- Association of Public Health Laboratoriesexternal icon (APHL)
- Association of State and Territorial Health Officialsexternal icon (ASTHO)
- Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologistsexternal icon (CSTE)
- National Association of County and City Health Officialsexternal icon (NACCHO)
- National Environmental Health Associationexternal icon (NEHA)
- Water Environment Federationexternal icon (WEF)
- Water Research Foundationexternal icon (WRF)
What other federal agency resources are available on COVID-19 sewage surveillance, SARS-CoV-2 sampling and testing activities, and related research support?
- EPA
- NIH
- NIST
- NSF