Considerations for Implementing Wastewater Surveillance in Rural Communities

NWSS CoE Contributing Authors Allison Wheeler, MSPH

Published in APHL Lab Matters. 2023; Winter

Summary:

Implementing effective wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in rural communities requires additional  considerations such as ensuring privacy while sampling in smaller populations, limited laboratory and utility capacity due to fewer personnel and resources, access to representative clinical data for interpretation, and transparent, timely and targeted communications. However, when these factors are considered and addressed, wastewater surveillance 
can aid in decreasing health inequities in rural communities and serve as a valuable public health tool by providing beneficial information about community health trends.