“Wastewater is a complex matrix and the combination of knowledge, experience and skills necessary to deliver accurate, reproducible and meaningful results from wastewater-based epidemiology is not trivial. Rigorous and thorough quality assurance and quality control of sampling, processing and analysis is essential for analytical results to have meaning. Helping Canada to better address and assess what is needed and what the reliable use of the technique could look like is the fundamental rationale for the Canadian COVID-19 Wastewater Coalition and the proposed pilot studies.” — Steve E. Hrudey et al., June 2020, Royal Society of Canada COVID-19 Series

The COVID-19 Wastewater Coalition’s National Research Advisory Group includes twelve leading Canadian researchers whose expertise spans wastewater, public health protection, microbiology, toxicology, engineering and water quality protection. This group will provide technical and scientific guidance on the surveillance of SARS-CoV2 in wastewater and the Coalition’s national proof-of-concept pilot. The members have also agreed to share their expertise with journalists from national news outlets across the country.

Canadian Water Network has appointed the following individuals:

• Dr. Steve E. Hrudey (Chair), Professor Emeritus, Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta
• Dr. Nicholas Ashbolt, Professor, School of Public Health and Adjunct Professor, Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta
• Dr. Robert Delatolla, Associate Professor, Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa
• Dr. Sarah Dorner, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Microbial Contaminant Dynamics in Source Waters, Polytechnique Montréal
• Dr. Dominic Frigon, Associate Professor, Civil Engineering, McGill University
• Dr. Graham Gagnon, Associate Vice-President Research, NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Water Quality and Treatment; and Director, Centre for Water Resource Studies, Dalhousie University
• Dr. John Giesy, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Environmental Toxicology, University of Saskatchewan
• Dr. Pierre Payment, Associate Professor, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut national de la recherche scientifique
• Dr. Natalie Prystajecky, Program Head, Environmental Microbiology, BCCDC Public Health Laboratory; Co-Program Head, Molecular and Microbial Genomics, BCCDC Public Health Laboratory; Clinical Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC
• Dr. Mark Servos, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Water Quality Protection, University of Waterloo
• Dr. Peter Vanrolleghem, Professor and Canada Research Chair on Water Quality Modeling, Université Laval
• Dr. Viviane Yargeau, Professor and Chair of Chemical Engineering, McGill University