Educational Resources

The Colorado NWSS CoE is committed to advancing expertise in wastewater surveillance systems. Our mission is to deliver comprehensive training programs that strengthen knowledge and practical skills in this critical field.

Below, you'll find training materials produced by our team as well as select resources from other organizations.

Have a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know—we’d love to hear from you.

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Featured Educational Resource

New: Courses Offering Digital Micro-Credentials

We now offer two courses that award a digital micro-credential (digital badge) to learners who demonstrate mastery of the course content.

Your digital badge will be issued by University of Denver through Credly. Credly uses Open Badge Standards maintained by IMS Global, allowing you to securely manage, share, and verify your achievement online.

Right-Sizing your Wastewater Surveillance Program

Following the CDC’s June 2024 guidance on right-sizing wastewater surveillance (WWS) programs, the Colorado NWSS CoE developed this training program to help you assess your current WWS system and plan for a right-sized approach.
This course includes:
Pre-Course Workbook
The pre-course workbook helps you evaluate your current program, identify what a right-sized wastewater surveillance network could look like, and recognize any remaining questions or areas of concern.
Interactive Course
This interactive course provides an overview of right-sizing principles, examples of how other wastewater surveillance programs have implemented right-sized approaches, and work underway to improve future right-sizing approaches.
Assessment
To demonstrate what you have learned, you will complete an abridged version of the Right-Sizing Workbook using data from your own wastewater surveillance program. You will use your program's data to populate an Excel workbook that generates a list of recommended sites for your right-sized surveillance network.
Estimated time to complete: 3–4 hours
Launch the Right-Sizing Course
Wastewater Surveillance Community Engagement for K-12 Learners
Community engagement is essential to the success of wastewater surveillance programs. Educating K–12 students helps build public understanding of wastewater surveillance while inspiring the next generation of public health professionals.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Explain why engaging with the public is important for a wastewater surveillance program.
- Engage K–12 students in age-appropriate lessons about wastewater surveillance.
- Use what you learned to create a lesson plan for high school-aged learners
This course includes:
Lectures
Two slideshow-style lectures presenting two lesson plans: one for elementary school-aged learners and one for middle school learners.
Downloadable Resources
Both lesson plans, including lists of materials and printable documents you can use in your engagement efforts, are available for download.
A short video designed for elementary school learners is also included. It introduces basic concepts, including what wastewater is, how it travels to treatment facilities, and how scientists use wastewater surveillance to detect disease outbreaks.
Assessment
Demonstrate your understanding by creating a short classroom-ready lesson for high school-aged learners that accurately communicates wastewater surveillance concepts.
Estimated time to complete: 3–4 hours
Launch the Community Engagement Course

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On-Demand Learning

Our team of wastewater surveillance experts has developed a range of training resources available anytime, on demand. These include instructional videos, sample documents, and webinar recordings tailored for the wastewater surveillance community.

Topics include:

Popular – Data Analysis and Dashboard Development webinar series
New – Ethical Considerations for Wastewater Surveillance Systems training course
Content designed for professionals who are new to wastewater surveillance

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Wastewater Surveillance Library

Our Wastewater Surveillance Library is a curated collection of peer-reviewed articles covering key topics in the field—from emerging pathogens and new methods to ethical considerations and program implementation. Whether you're new to the field or looking to expand your knowledge, the library offers valuable insights from experts across the wastewater surveillance community.