Wastewater Testing for COVID-19
For more info, visit the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment website. To view the data, click the "Wastewater Sample Data" button.
What is wastewater testing for COVID-19?
CSU, in coordination with CDPHE and LCDHE works to identify COVID-19 viral levels in wastewater coming from businesses and places of residence.
"Wastewater" is the sewage or dirty water from homes and buildings that gets sent to a wastewater treatment plant. Wastewater includes water and anything that goes down a toilet or drain inside a home or other building. A "sewershed" is an area that collects wastewater. In Larimer County, small sewersheds throughout the county are monitored in order to detect whether COVID-19 is present in specific areas of the community.
Many people who have COVID-19 also shed the virus in their stool (poop). Traces of the virus can be detected in poop up to a week before someone starts to have symptoms of COVID-19. This means that wastewater can serve as an early warning signal that COVID-19 is present in a specific community or neighborhood.
How does wastewater testing help slow the spread of COVID-19 in Larimer County?
Wastewater testing is another tool we have available to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in our community. By adding wastewater monitoring to Larimer County’s individual testing we can respond quickly and inform residents to minimize community spread, if needed.
For information about getting tested for COVID-19, click here.
