Current Priority: Coronavirus
2020-04-29 16:04:00
What we know today
To date, the scientific community has found no evidence of viable COVID-19 virus in wastewater systems.
Current efforts to elucidate numbers of infections in the community and support public health surveillance have relied on detecting the virus in wastewater using molecular techniques that identify genetic material (RNA), but this method does not assess virus viability or infectivity. Further, there is currently no epidemiological evidence that wastewater is a route of transmission.
While there is still a lot we don't know, it appears that contracting COVID-19 through exposure to wastewater is unlikely.
WEF is continuing to work on the matter of wastewater worker protection from disease causing microorganisms and pathogens, in general — especially via aerosols — by forming a Blue Ribbon Panel to address the issue of required personal protective equipment and protective work and hygiene practices.
WEF will continue to post the latest information on this page. See also “Biological Hazards at Wastewater Treatment Facilities,” which is Chapter 8 of WEF’s Manual Practice No. 1, Safety, Health, and Security in Wastewater Systems (Sixth Edition).
From the U.S. CDC
Currently, there is no evidence that coronavirus survives the disinfection process for drinking water and wastewater.
- The COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking water.
- The risk of transmission through feces is expected to be low based on data from previous outbreaks of related coronaviruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
- At this time, the risk of transmission of COVID-19 through sewerage systems is thought to be low.
No coronavirus-specific protections are recommended for employees involved in wastewater management operations, including those at
wastewater treatment facilities.
- Water resource recovery facility operations should ensure workers follow routine practices to prevent exposure to wastewater. These include using engineering and administrative controls, safe work practices, and personal protective equipment (PPE) normally required for work tasks when handling untreated wastewater.
- Water workers should
- wear appropriate PPE, which includes protective outerwear, gloves, boots, and goggles or face shield masks;
- wash their hands frequently; and
- avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
Source: U.S. CDC, Water Transmission and COVID-19
