Wastewater surveillance has been used as an early notification signal for Covid-19 since 2020

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020, studies have shown that a significant proportion of people with COVID-19 infections shed the virus in their stool, sometimes even before their symptoms start. Wastewater surveillance for COVID-19 tests for the presence of genetic material (known as RNA) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in wastewater. This approach has the advantage of capturing both positive cases and asymptomatic cases in the community since it is not limited by personal behaviour (e.g., choosing to not get tested). In this way, wastewater surveillance is a complimentary tool for public health units to identify outbreaks and inform decisions on where and how to mobilize resources.

A multidisciplinary team of Urban Water TMU researchers, co-led by Dr. Kimberley Gilbride (Chemistry and Biology) and Dr. Claire Oswald (Geography and Environmental Studies), have been conducting wastewater surveillance for COVID-19 since summer 2020 in partnership with the Province of Ontario, Toronto Public Health, Toronto Water, and Unity Health (St. Michael’s Hospital). As part of the Province of Ontario’s Wastewater Surveillance Initiative (WSI), external link (external link) , they have been collecting and testing wastewater from wastewater treatment plants, six communities (or neighbourhoods), and eight facilities (e.g., shelters, long-term care homes, hospitals, campus residences) in the City of Toronto. The data generated is shared directly with the Province, Toronto Public Health, and facility staff two times per week and has led to several public health interventions since summer 2021.

In July 2024, the province of Ontario made the decision to suspend funding to the WSI. As such, the surveillance of Covid and other pathogens has been suspended. The response from the academic community and public health advocates has been significant as noted in this comprehensive article in the Globe and Mail (external link) .

Urban Water's research on wastewater surveillance was funded through Toronto Metropolitan University’s Rapid Response Fund, NSERC Alliance COVID-19, external link (external link)  fund, the Province of Ontario, and the Public Health Agency of Canada’s COVID Immunity Task Force, external link (external link) .