Using sewers to monitor outbreaks

["Roger"]

Someone mentioned to me that they heard this on their TV news. A link to a NY Times article is found below which may or may not be behind a firewall.

The essence of the story is that people's discharges (my polite wording) would display if someone in the system has contracted the virus. Since everyone discharges, it would essence be testing everyone. WHO has already used this to monitor how well polio vaccinations are working in given areas.

It might not seem that useful to know whether in an entire municipality whether someone has contracted coVid-19, but once it has been spotted, tests can be made at individual manhole covers and ... Instead of looking at a wastewater treatment plant that handles an entire city or county, they may go down into manholes to monitor changes in individual neighborhoods. Conceivably, they might be able to zero in on nursing homes, factories and other places that have seen intense outbreaks. “If we see a hot spot arising,” Dr. Xagoraraki said, “we can close down a particular area for a while, so you don’t kill the whole economy of a whole state.”

All of this is simply an idea that is being explored, not something that is on the docket as of yet.

Link to NY Times article

 

[Eric B]

What about septic tanks in rural or semi-rural areas?

 

[MrockStar]

What about septic tanks in rural or semi-rural areas?

Its all about the benefits of rural living!

 

[b2bailey]

I don't want that testing job, thank you very much.

 

[rhonda]

What about septic tanks in rural or semi-rural areas?

That was my first thought, also. They are excluded.

I'd read about waste treatment monitoring earlier in the event. It is certainly an interesting idea for determining "hot spots," at least in developed areas with sewer facilities.

 

["Roger"]

What about septic tanks in rural or semi-rural areas?

Septic tanks would be single family use. Probably less costly just to do swabs if someone suspects they have coronavirus.

As far as advanced screening to detect outbreaks even before the infected people were aware of having coronovirus like with sewers, one would have to continually go to each and every septic tank on almost a daily basis to see if anything showed up. Not feasible.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Someone mentioned to me that they heard this on their TV news. A link to a NY Times article is found below which may or may not be behind a firewall.

The essence of the story is that people's discharges (my polite wording) would display if someone in the system has contracted the virus. Since everyone discharges, it would essence be testing everyone. WHO has already used this to monitor how well polio vaccinations are working in given areas.

It might not seem that useful to know whether in an entire municipality whether someone has contracted coVid-19, but once it has been spotted, tests can be made at individual manhole covers and ... Instead of looking at a wastewater treatment plant that handles an entire city or county, they may go down into manholes to monitor changes in individual neighborhoods. Conceivably, they might be able to zero in on nursing homes, factories and other places that have seen intense outbreaks. “If we see a hot spot arising,” Dr. Xagoraraki said, “we can close down a particular area for a while, so you don’t kill the whole economy of a whole state.”

All of this is simply an idea that is being explored, not something that is on the docket as of yet.

Link to NY Times article

Love this new way of approaching the problem (albeit somewhat yucky). I keep wondering how as a nation we can afford to test everyone. This would be a low cost less personally invasive way to detect hot spots in cities and suburbs which could augment and target the per person testing.

I saw a TV interview with a Stanford Professor of Sustainability Engineering who is building the test, and she said this type of testing has been commonly used to detect different viruses so the foundation exists.

 

[Passepartout]

Add the collection of such data to the list of jobs I don't want.

 

[SandyPGravel]

The job makes me think of the pivotal scene in The Shawshank Redemtion.

When I read the title I read "sewers" as in someone that sews. (Not quite the same )

 

[PigsDad]

I don't want that testing job, thank you very much.

With 30 million people newly unemployed in this country (so far), they may be able to find some takers.

Kurt

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Sustainability and environmental engineering is a hot major right now because students want to save the planet. The less fortunate side is that the high paying jobs involve applying science to garbage dumps and sewer systems. Someone has got to do it and some of the stigma is now lifting because people can see the dramatic good it can produce. Because it has historically been a socially avoided field, there is a greenfield of opportunity for scientific discovery compared to "cleaner" fields such as biotech.

 

[Old Hickory]

Sorry, but I'm calling this a sh*tty story.

 

[MrockStar]

Septic tanks would be single family use. Probably less costly just to do swabs if someone suspects they have coronavirus.

As far as advanced screening to detect outbreaks even before the infected people were aware of having coronovirus like with sewers, one would have to continually go to each and every septic tank on almost a daily basis to see if anything showed up. Not feasible.

Their not testing mine. Not needed or wanted.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I don't want that testing job, thank you very much.

This type of sampling is done quite frequently. For example, if you characterize where certain wastes are being discharged into a sewer system, you sample at manholes. I once did a program at NAS Moffett Field in Santa Clara to characterize where certain discharges of metallic solutions was occurring.

It's done with automated samplers with battery powered pumps. Very easy and very simple. Just program in how much to sample, and how often to sample, and start time and end time.

The job that is a mess is being assigned to clear the blockages that occur in sewer systems when people flush those "flushable" wipes down the toilet. All "flushable" means is that it won't get stuck in your toiler. But unlike toilet paper, those wipes don't break down in the sewer system (or if they do break down, it doesn't happen quickly enough to keep them accumulating and creating blockages).

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Sustainability and environmental engineering is a hot major right now because students want to save the planet. The less fortunate side is that the high paying jobs involve applying science to garbage dumps and sewer systems. Someone has got to do it and some of the stigma is now lifting because people can see the dramatic good it can produce. Because it has historically been a socially avoided field, there is a greenfield of opportunity for scientific discovery compared to "cleaner" fields such as biotech.

About eight years ago I began to develop business working on some specialized issues with municipal wastewater treatment plants. That and work that I do with food processors is about 80% of my workload. Those two sectors so far have help up nicely.

A common quip among people who work in the industry is "It might be #### to you, but it's our bread and butter."

 

[MrockStar]

Sounds recession proof. Nice.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Sounds recession proof. Nice.

Yeah - it's worked out nicely, and not just this year. I first started targeting food processors about 30 years ago, while many other people in my business were focusing on electronics and technology companies. One my of intentions was to to develop opportunities that had a different business cycle than the general economy.

Some of my food industry clients are hurting - the ones who do significant business in food service and institutional sales. Shutdowns of restaurants, dormitories, etc. affects them directly.

Those who produce consumer branded products are doing well, especially if they produce frozen and shelf stable foods. Their big issues are keeping their supply and distribution chains functioning and the human resources and safety challenges involved in keeping plants operating. But they can sell as much as they can produce and ship.

 

[MrockStar]

Its stories like these that high lite american ingenuity and can do spirit at its best. Keep up the good work and stay safe.