Wastewater Testing Dashboard
NCDHHS tests wastewater from select treatment plants to better understand how much COVID-19, Flu A/B, RSV and measles (MeV) are spreading in NC. People with these viruses can shed tiny pieces of the virus in their stool. These pieces are not infectious in wastewater, but scientists can still measure them.
Tracking these levels helps us see community trends and adds another data point to understand how respiratory viruses are affecting North Carolinians.
Recent reports and newsletters
More about why we test wastewater
Respiratory Dashboards
- Summary
- Wastewater Testing
- Vaccinations
- Detailed Virus Activity
- Data Behind the Dashboards
Archived Dashboards
To view the average COVID-19 virus copies found per person per week from participating NC wastewater treatment plants, please visit the Summary Dashboard. To download tabular data, please go to Data Behind the Dashboards.
NC wastewater data for COVID-19, influenza A (Flu A), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and measles (MeV) are also being reported on the CDC wastewater surveillance page. Subtyping for Flu A is also being reported.
Why are we monitoring wastewater?
Wastewater monitoring is being used to follow COVID-19 trends within a community. People with COVID-19 illness shed the virus in their feces shortly after they are infected, often before they experience symptoms. People who are infected but never show symptoms can also shed the virus. By testing a community’s wastewater, we can measure the amount of the virus in a community-wide sample and see whether levels of the virus are increasing, decreasing, or staying the same. Public health officials can use this information to inform communities about COVID-19 trends at the local level.
How does wastewater monitoring work?
Participating wastewater utilities collect a wastewater sample (24-hour mixture, or composite) twice per week. Wastewater samples are analyzed in the laboratory to determine the amount of SARS-CoV-2 virus that is present. The amount of SARS-CoV-2 virus, measured as viral gene copies, can indicate if COVID-19 is increasing or decreasing in a community.
How can monitoring wastewater improve public health?
Wastewater monitoring can:
- Provide a community-wide sample to help track trends in levels of the virus.
- Sometimes serve as an early warning of increases in COVID-19 in communities.
- Provide information that can help local communities intervene act more quickly with strategies to slow COVID-19 spread.
Is there a risk of spreading COVID-19 through wastewater?
The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, breaks down quickly in the environment. Scientists have not found wastewater to be a pathway for disease transmission, although we can still measure the RNA fragments in the wastewater. Untreated wastewater can transmit other diseases, however, so staff collecting samples and conducting laboratory analysis must follow standard safety protocols, including the use of personal protective equipment and good hygiene practices.