GA NWSS Wastewater Surveillance Reports

Each Georgia NWSS surveillance report includes all data available as of the date of report, including data from prior weeks. Please navigate to the most recent report for the most up-to-date data and trends.

**As of 5/11/2026, GA NWSS reports include wastewater surveillance data for COVID-19, Influenza A, Influenza B, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Reports will be posted each Monday, with the exception of state or federal holidays; in those cases, reports will be posted on the following business day. For the best experience, including interactive features, please use a desktop or tablet.

  • What is wastewater surveillance?

    Wastewater surveillance, the backbone of wastewater-based epidemiology,  is a public health tool that involves collecting and testing wastewater samples in the laboratory for evidence of infectious diseases. Wastewater, or sewage, is the “dirty” or used water that comes from homes (from toilets, sinks, kitchens, showers, laundry, etc.) and from facilities like restaurants, schools, offices, or industrial buildings. Wastewater testing helps us identify which harmful germs are in our communities and how widespread they are. Wastewater-based epidemiology uses wastewater surveillance to interpret data for public health action.

     Wastewater surveillance along with wastewater-based epidemiology can:

    • Capture community-level information about diseases that may not be reportable to public health, like COVID-19, influenza, and RSV
    • Identify disease trends earlier than clinical settings (like getting tested at a healthcare provider’s office) and is not based on testing or access to healthcare
    • Serve as an early warning surveillance tool for potential outbreaks or uncommon diseases
    • Detect viruses even when people are not showing symptoms
       
  • What is GA NWSS?

    The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is participating in the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Health and Human Services (HHS) National Wastewater Surveillance (NWSS) Program. In August of 2021, the GA NWSS program was started, and efforts were made to engage wastewater treatment facilities (WWTFs) and build the infrastructure of the wastewater surveillance program and wastewater-based epidemiology in Georgia. Starting in April 2022, DPH began conducting weekly wastewater sampling to better understand COVID-19 trends in Georgia. As of April 2026, the GA NWSS program is looking for the viruses that cause COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), influenza (type A and B), RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), and MPXV (monkeypox virus) in wastewater, and continue to explore adding additional pathogens.  The Georgia Public Health Laboratory (GPHL) conducts all wastewater testing for the GA NWSS program, while DPH NWSS epidemiologists interpret the data and maintain relationships with WWTFs. We look for the presence (if there is any of the virus in the wastewater) and the quantity of the virus (how much is in the wastewater).

  • What do we do with the wastewater surveillance data?

    The wastewater surveillance data is available to the public in the GA NWSS Wastewater Surveillance reports on the DPH website. These reports show trends in wastewater over time.  

    Reports are also sent internally to the participating wastewater facilities and local public health partners. Public health partners share this information with their local health departments and healthcare facilities and use the information to guide public health decisions and actions. 

    We also send the data to the CDC who collects and displays data from states participating in NWSS to get a national picture of these diseases and their trends. Wastewater surveillance programs and researchers across the U.S. and the world are always looking for ways to create new tools for interpreting and using wastewater data.

  • How and where are wastewater samples collected?

    Wastewater samples are collected by our wastewater treatment facility partners before the wastewater goes through its cleaning process. These samples may be collected over a short period of time, such as 15 minutes (called a grab sample), or over a longer time frame, usually 8-24 hours (called a composite sample). Sampling and shipping materials are provided free of charge to participating wastewater treatment facilities.

  • Are there privacy concerns with wastewater surveillance?

    Because the samples are collected at wastewater treatment facilities, there are minimal privacy concerns with wastewater surveillance. These facilities collect wastewater from many homes and buildings, so we cannot identify individual people or know exactly how many people might be sick or infected. Wastewater contributions also include people traveling through, visiting, or working in an area, and not just from individuals living there. For wastewater data to be displayed publicly, the wastewater facility must serve at least 3,000 people.

  • What are the limitations of wastewater-based epidemiology?

    Currently, wastewater-based epidemiology can only be conducted using wastewater from public sewer systems. For these reasons, wastewater surveillance data may not be representative of entire counties. However, wastewater from businesses, buildings, hospitals, schools, etc. may capture people traveling through the area, and not only the residents of the community the WWTF serves. Additionally, raw wastewater sometimes contains more than just fecal matter and the targets we look for, such as stormwater and chemical pollutants. These factors can make it hard to find the targets, especially if they are present in low levels. Researchers are also still investigating which pathogens are shed in stool and how they might break down in the wastewater with time, temperature, and other factors. Finally, since this is a newer tool, public health is still learning how best to interpret and use the data. We recommend using wastewater surveillance data with other public health tools, such as case-based, syndromic, and hospital and emergency room data.

  • Who do I contact if I have more questions?

    Please reach out to the GA NWSS team at [email protected] for any additional questions.

Page last updated 7/16/2026