Gippsland Water takes part in national COVID-19 wastewater testing project
Gippsland Water is taking part in a ground-breaking national project using wastewater sampling to detect and help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Managing director Sarah Cumming said the organisation was pleased to be playing an important role in helping to keep Victorian communities safe.
“While the project is in its early stages, testing wastewater may provide an early warning as to where the virus might be present in the community,” Ms Cumming said.
“Ultimately, this may help inform policy makers and health authorities to slow the spread.
“We’re taking weekly samples at our Moe and Warragul wastewater treatment plants, and at the Gippsland Water Factory.
“Samples are then sent to the laboratory to be analysed for the virus and that data is used to inform the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services in its efforts to control the virus.”
The Australia-wide ColoSSos Project – Collaboration on Sewage Surveillance of SARS-COV-2 – will track and monitor the presence of the virus that causes COVID-19 and its persistence in the Australian sewerage network, providing information on where it is present in the population.
The national project has 12 utility partners, six health department and 10 research organisations involved. The program of work is coordinated by Water Research Australia (WaterRA).
