KU program tracing COVID-19 in wastewater provides early warning to Kansans of virus spread

The University of Kansas School of Engineering and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment have expanded a project to detect COVID-19 virus in the wastewater systems of local communities across the state.

The original project launched this spring looked for evidence of the virus in a dozen Kansas communities. This summer, that roster has expanded to 18 communities, including some in western Kansas. KU has also partnered with the City of Lawrence to test that city’s wastewater weekly.

“The idea is we can’t test everybody in our community,” said Belinda Sturm, associate vice chancellor for research and professor of civil, environmental & architectural engineering, “but we can test the catchment to see if COVID is present in our community, if it’s increasing or decreasing.”

Sturm collected samples from 12 wastewater plants ranging from big urban plants to small-town lagoon systems from around the state in late April, using a test that looks for signs of the virus’ RNA. Studies from the Netherlands and Massachusetts suggest that such analyses can help local officials understand if the virus is present in their community and if so, how widespread any outbreak might be.

Read full story from KU here.

Related previous article from May 4, 2020: KU, KDHE partner to trace COVID-19 in wastewater treatment plants