The COVID-19 Wastewater Coalition’s Inter-Laboratory Study is the first phase of the national pilot and will characterize the inter- and intra-laboratory variability associated with results from testing of SARS-CoV-2 using RT-qPCR after extraction from a common wastewater matrix. Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory is the coordinating reference lab for the study; research labs in Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Windsor, Montréal and Halifax are participating. [read more...]

The COVID-19 Wastewater Coalition’s Public Health Advisory Group includes eight leading Canadian leading experts. These advisors will address how data generated by wastewater surveillance is shared with public health authorities and provide guidance on ethics and communications. Collectively, the members bring a wide range of of expertise, experience and leadership in medical practice, public health, health sciences, research and ethics to this role. [read more...]

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. [read more...]

Dr. Steve E. Hrudey, Professor Emeritus from the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta, will chair the COVID-19 Wastewater Coalition’s national research advisory group. Dr. Hrudey has been engaged in environmental and public health risk research for 49 years. He's published more than 180 refereed journal articles and has served on numerous national and international expert panels. [read more...]

As countries carefully restart their economies and ease community restrictions, a global research effort is underway to monitor the spread of the COVID-19 through wastewater surveillance. Canadian Water Network is initiating a national response to accelerate results and enable public health decision-makers to access the most complete information available regarding community transmission. [read more...]