Why is wastewater surveillance important?

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) highlights that, like the rest of the world, India is facing a surge in new and recurring pathogens—ranging from viral and bacterial to zoonotic diseases. This rise is driven by factors such as population pressure, rapid urban growth, environmental shifts, and closer human–animal contact.
• After the COVID-19 pandemic, Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) has gained prominence as a tool for early outbreak detection. Experts note that WBE can act as a predictive system, offering community-level pathogen tracking in near real-time.
• Remarkably, it can signal possible pandemics before clinical cases are officially recorded.
• This approach is cost-effective, non-invasive, and population-wide, capturing infection trends—including cases in asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic individuals—and supporting timely public health interventions.
• A recent article on Integrated Environmental Surveillance underlined its key benefits: monitoring large populations, identifying transmission hotspots, and helping authorities allocate resources effectively

How does it work?

• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that individuals infected with certain pathogens (like COVID-19) can shed viral or bacterial fragments while using the toilet, washing hands, showering, or even doing laundry—regardless of whether they show symptoms. These fragments enter the sewage system through drains.
• Before wastewater undergoes treatment, operators collect samples, which are then tested in laboratories to identify circulating pathogens. Within five to seven days, data from these tests can reveal infection patterns in communities. Public health agencies use these insights to issue advisories, scale up testing, or expand vaccination drives.

Wider applications

• Beyond disease surveillance, wastewater monitoring can help track pollution from land-based sources and support the protection of freshwater and marine ecosystems. It also aids in safeguarding ecosystem services.
• According to the UN Environment Programme, this trend is a positive sign for both public health and environmental management, but greater investment and broader adoption are essential. The World Health Organization (WHO) too is focusing on strengthening global capacity in wastewater and environmental monitoring