Assessment of a SARS-CoV-2 wastewater monitoring program in El Paso, Texas, from November 2020 to June 2022.

International journal of environmental health research 2024 Jan

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The border city of El Paso, Texas, and its water utility, El Paso Water, initiated a SARS-CoV-2 wastewater monitoring program to assess virus trends and the appropriateness of a wastewater monitoring program for the community. Nearly weekly sample collection at four wastewater treatment facilities (WWTFs), serving distinct regions of the city, was analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 genes using the CDC 2019-Novel coronavirus Real-Time RT-PCR diagnostic panel. Virus concentrations ranged from 86.7 to 268,000 gc/L, varying across time and at each WWTF. The lag time between virus concentrations in wastewater and reported COVID-19 case rates (per 100,00 population) ranged from 4-24 days for the four WWTFs, with the strongest trend occurring from November 2021 - June 2022. This study is an assessment of the utility of a geographically refined SARS-CoV-2 wastewater monitoring program to supplement public health efforts that will manage the virus as it becomes endemic in El Paso.

Citation

Anna Gitter, Cici Bauer, Fuqing Wu, Ryan Ramphul, Carlos Chavarria, Kehe Zhang, Joseph Petrosino, Melissa Mezzari, Gabriela Gallegos, Austen L Terwilliger, Justin R Clark, Karen Feliz, Vasanthi Avadhanula, Tony Piedra, Kyle Weesner, Anthony Maresso, Kristina D Mena. Assessment of a SARS-CoV-2 wastewater monitoring program in El Paso, Texas, from November 2020 to June 2022. International journal of environmental health research. 2024 Jan;34(1):564-574