Home  /  Wastewater-Based Surveillance Program

Wastewater-Based Surveillance Program

A peer-to-peer learning program on wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) for COVID-19, other pathogens and agents for public health practitioners.

WBS Knowledge-to-action series (June 2024)

Wastewater-Based Surveillance for Public Health Knowledge-to-Action Series

The purpose of the Wastewater-Based Surveillance (WBS) for Public Health Knowledge-to-Action Series is to capture what is being learned by public health practitioners and their partners about interpreting and communicating wastewater-based surveillance information. The resources in this series are intended to guide and support the use of WBS to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of people in health regions and communities across Canada.

This series evolved out of a partnership between the Canadian Water Network (CWN) and the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCCID), which launched in 2022 with funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC).

This peer-learning project brought together over 30 Public Health practitioners, researchers and advisors from across Canada to explore promising practices for interpreting and communicating WBS data to protect and promote the health of Canadians.

For more information please visit WBS Program – Canadian Water Network cwn-rce.ca

How to use this information

This series is intended for public health personnel working across all levels (front line, research and decision-making), disciplines (epidemiology/informatics, environmental health, infectious disease prevention/management, and health promotion) and jurisdictions (local, regional, national). Some of the resources may be appropriate for sharing with community partners to strengthen learning and collaboration for building a strong monitoring and assessment system in support of community health.

These resources will develop as new information is added to this rapidly evolving area. Users are encouraged to provide feedback and recommend additional tools and topics for the series.

cited from CWN overview (found below)*
Series Overview
Wastewater-Based Surveillance for Public Health: Knowledge to Action Series overviewDownload
WBS Resources and Tools
Dashboards for Communication and Decision-MakingDownload
Ethics Tool for Health Data GovernanceDownload
WBS Case Examples
British Columbia Centre for Disease Control case example – Shared Hallways Support Strong Partnership in B.C.Download
Ottawa Public Health cast example – Open Data is a game changerDownload
Nunavik Board of Health and Social Services case example – Engaging in the North means starting where the people are readyDownload

Program Announcement (April 2023)

A new program for public health practitioners

Canadian Water Network (CWN) and the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCCID) are pleased to offer a peer learning program for public health practitioners who are working with — or are interested in working with — wastewater-based surveillance data. The program’s goal is to support public health practitioners to effectively interpret the meaning of WBS data for SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens and agents, and to communicate with policymakers and the public. Phase 1 of the program will run from February 2023 to January 2024.

Participants will include public health practitioners from communities and health units in three provinces, as well as Indigenous regions where WBS programs are developing or underway. Public health practitioners will learn from their peers about how WBS can be applied as an effective public health tool, and interact directly with national and international experts sharing recent developments in WBS research and practice.