Not just for scientists: Albertans encouraged to check COVID-19 levels in wastewater

Wastewater testing, which has shown evidence of increased COVID-19 cases in Alberta, particularly in Calgary, will continue to be funded by the provincial government.

A Calgary-based wastewater scientist is encouraging members of the public to start utilizing wastewater data as a way to monitor Alberta's COVID-19 cases and the current risk level.

Dr. Casey Hubert, a research chair in geomicrobiology at the University of Calgary, says he checks wastewater data the same way he checks the weather on his phone.

"And based on what I see – if the trend is going up or down or staying the same – based on checking the wastewater data I can make decisions about when to wear a mask and what kind of gatherings I want to participate in," he said.

Hubert is part of a group of scientists who update an online COVID-19 wastewater dashboard created by the University of Calgary Centre for Health Informatics that shows the average amount of COVID-19 detected in wastewater across the province.

It's updated three times a week, and the last few updates suggest that COVID-19 cases in Alberta are once again on the rise.

"What we're noticing in Calgary is that there is a steady increase in the signal we see in Calgary wastewater. We're measuring three times a week and it's slowly ticking upward it seems with every few data points we collect," Hubert said.

Hubert suggests wastewater data is more important now than ever before, as the province has cut back on the reporting of COVID-19 numbers and now only updates the public on current cases and hospitalizations once a week.

"One of the great things about wastewater testing is that is that wastewater testing still provides us with data even in the absence of clinical PCR testing," he said. 

"Wastewater is kind of like doing a PCR test on the whole city of Calgary with a single swab. While we don't have clinical PCR data being reported to us as frequently – or as many tests being provided – we're still testing wastewater three times a week throughout Alberta, so in the absence of clinical testing this wastewater data is really important information and evidence for Calgarians and Albertans as they want to see what way the pandemic is going."

Hubert is encouraging Albertans to use the data in order to protect themselves.

"There is a lot less information being provided (now) than earlier in the pandemic," he said.

"We seem to be entering a phase in Alberta and in Canada where it's up to us to make good choices and I think that's where wastewater data can be really be helpful."

Alberta's wastewater data can be found online here.