COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance Data. California
NOTICE: As of September 6, 2024, the wastewater surveillance dataset will now be hosted on: https://data.chhs.ca.gov/dataset/wastewater-surveillance-data-california. The dataset will no longer be updated on this webpage and will contain a historic dataset. Users who wish to access new and updated data will need to visit the new webpage. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) together are coordinating with several wastewater utilities, local health departments, universities, and laboratories in California on wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. Data collected from this network of participants, called the California Surveillance of Wastewater Systems (Cal-SuWers) Network, are submitted to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS). During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been used for the detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 virus shed into wastewater via feces of infected persons. Wastewater surveillance tracks "pooled samples" that reflect the overall disease activity for a community serviced by the wastewater treatment plant (an area known as a "sewershed"), rather than tracking samples from individual people. Notably, while SARS-CoV-2 virus is shed fecally by infected persons, COVID-19 is spread primarily through the respiratory route, and there is no evidence to date that exposure to treated or untreated wastewater has led to infection with COVID-19. Collecting and analyzing wastewater samples for the overall amount of SARS-CoV-2 viral particles present can help inform public health about the level of viral transmission within a community. Data from wastewater testing are not intended to replace existing COVID-19 surveillance systems, but are meant to complement them. While wastewater surveillance cannot determine the exact number of infected persons in the area being monitored, it can provide the overall trend of virus concentration within that community. With our local partners, the SWRCB and CDPH are currently monitoring and quantifying levels of SARS-CoV-2 at the headworks or "influent" of 21 wastewater treatment plants representing approximately 48% of California's population."
Data files
Data title and description | Access data | File details | Last updated |
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COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance Data. California NOTICE: As of September 6, 2024, the wastewater surveillance dataset will now be hosted on: https://data.chhs.ca.gov/dataset/wastewater-surveillance-data-california. The dataset will no longer be updated on this webpage and will contain a historic dataset. Users who wish to access new and updated data will need to visit the new webpage. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) together are coordinating with several wastewater utilities, local health departments, universities, and laboratories in California on wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. Data collected from this network of participants, called the California Surveillance of Wastewater Systems (Cal-SuWers) Network, are submitted to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS). During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been used for the detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 virus shed into wastewater via feces of infected persons. Wastewater surveillance tracks "pooled samples" that reflect the overall disease activity for a community serviced by the wastewater treatment plant (an area known as a "sewershed"), rather than tracking samples from individual people. Notably, while SARS-CoV-2 virus is shed fecally by infected persons, COVID-19 is spread primarily through the respiratory route, and there is no evidence to date that exposure to treated or untreated wastewater has led to infection with COVID-19. Collecting and analyzing wastewater samples for the overall amount of SARS-CoV-2 viral particles present can help inform public health about the level of viral transmission within a community. Data from wastewater testing are not intended to replace existing COVID-19 surveillance systems, but are meant to complement them. While wastewater surveillance cannot determine the exact number of infected persons in the area being monitored, it can provide the overall trend of virus concentration within that community. With our local partners, the SWRCB and CDPH are currently monitoring and quantifying levels of SARS-CoV-2 at the headworks or "influent" of 21 wastewater treatment plants representing approximately 48% of California's population." | Download | CSV 185.11 MB | 02/24/22 |
NWSS Metadata. NOTICE: As of September 6, 2024, the wastewater surveillance dataset will now be hosted on: https://data.chhs.ca.gov/dataset/wastewater-surveillance-data-california. The dataset will no longer be updated on this webpage and will contain a historic dataset. Users who wish to access new and updated data will need to visit the new webpage. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) together are coordinating with several wastewater utilities, local health departments, universities, and laboratories in California on wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. Data collected from this network of participants, called the California Surveillance of Wastewater Systems (Cal-SuWers) Network, are submitted to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS). During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been used for the detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 virus shed into wastewater via feces of infected persons. Wastewater surveillance tracks "pooled samples" that reflect the overall disease activity for a community serviced by the wastewater treatment plant (an area known as a "sewershed"), rather than tracking samples from individual people. Notably, while SARS-CoV-2 virus is shed fecally by infected persons, COVID-19 is spread primarily through the respiratory route, and there is no evidence to date that exposure to treated or untreated wastewater has led to infection with COVID-19. Collecting and analyzing wastewater samples for the overall amount of SARS-CoV-2 viral particles present can help inform public health about the level of viral transmission within a community. Data from wastewater testing are not intended to replace existing COVID-19 surveillance systems, but are meant to complement them. While wastewater surveillance cannot determine the exact number of infected persons in the area being monitored, it can provide the overall trend of virus concentration within that community. With our local partners, the SWRCB and CDPH are currently monitoring and quantifying levels of SARS-CoV-2 at the headworks or "influent" of 21 wastewater treatment plants representing approximately 48% of California's population." | Download | CSV 23.11 KB | 02/24/22 |
NWSS ReadMe. NOTICE: As of September 6, 2024, the wastewater surveillance dataset will now be hosted on: https://data.chhs.ca.gov/dataset/wastewater-surveillance-data-california. The dataset will no longer be updated on this webpage and will contain a historic dataset. Users who wish to access new and updated data will need to visit the new webpage. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) together are coordinating with several wastewater utilities, local health departments, universities, and laboratories in California on wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. Data collected from this network of participants, called the California Surveillance of Wastewater Systems (Cal-SuWers) Network, are submitted to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS). During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been used for the detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 virus shed into wastewater via feces of infected persons. Wastewater surveillance tracks "pooled samples" that reflect the overall disease activity for a community serviced by the wastewater treatment plant (an area known as a "sewershed"), rather than tracking samples from individual people. Notably, while SARS-CoV-2 virus is shed fecally by infected persons, COVID-19 is spread primarily through the respiratory route, and there is no evidence to date that exposure to treated or untreated wastewater has led to infection with COVID-19. Collecting and analyzing wastewater samples for the overall amount of SARS-CoV-2 viral particles present can help inform public health about the level of viral transmission within a community. Data from wastewater testing are not intended to replace existing COVID-19 surveillance systems, but are meant to complement them. While wastewater surveillance cannot determine the exact number of infected persons in the area being monitored, it can provide the overall trend of virus concentration within that community. With our local partners, the SWRCB and CDPH are currently monitoring and quantifying levels of SARS-CoV-2 at the headworks or "influent" of 21 wastewater treatment plants representing approximately 48% of California's population." | Download | CSV 3.42 KB | 02/24/22 |
NWSS Value Sets NOTICE: As of September 6, 2024, the wastewater surveillance dataset will now be hosted on: https://data.chhs.ca.gov/dataset/wastewater-surveillance-data-california. The dataset will no longer be updated on this webpage and will contain a historic dataset. Users who wish to access new and updated data will need to visit the new webpage. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) together are coordinating with several wastewater utilities, local health departments, universities, and laboratories in California on wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. Data collected from this network of participants, called the California Surveillance of Wastewater Systems (Cal-SuWers) Network, are submitted to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS). During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been used for the detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 virus shed into wastewater via feces of infected persons. Wastewater surveillance tracks "pooled samples" that reflect the overall disease activity for a community serviced by the wastewater treatment plant (an area known as a "sewershed"), rather than tracking samples from individual people. Notably, while SARS-CoV-2 virus is shed fecally by infected persons, COVID-19 is spread primarily through the respiratory route, and there is no evidence to date that exposure to treated or untreated wastewater has led to infection with COVID-19. Collecting and analyzing wastewater samples for the overall amount of SARS-CoV-2 viral particles present can help inform public health about the level of viral transmission within a community. Data from wastewater testing are not intended to replace existing COVID-19 surveillance systems, but are meant to complement them. While wastewater surveillance cannot determine the exact number of infected persons in the area being monitored, it can provide the overall trend of virus concentration within that community. With our local partners, the SWRCB and CDPH are currently monitoring and quantifying levels of SARS-CoV-2 at the headworks or "influent" of 21 wastewater treatment plants representing approximately 48% of California's population." | Download | CSV 27.66 KB | 02/24/22 |
Supporting files
Data title and description | Access data | File details | Last updated |
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COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance Data Dictionary Data Dictionary for COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance Data. California | DOCX 66.59 KB | 02/24/22 | |
NWSS Data Dictionary NWSS Data Dictionary in excel format. Valid values, required fields, data elements, etc. Also available here https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/surveillance/wastewater-surveillance/data-reporting-analytics.html | XLSX 59.28 KB | 02/24/22 |
More details
Additional Information: The unique identifier for the dataset is teh combination of "sample_id" and "pcr_target". The dataset includes extensive metadata and as required in the CDC NWSS data dictionary (provided). The relevant field is "sars_cov2_avg_conc". Limitations: “Use of this data is subject to the CA.gov Conditions of Use and any copyright and proprietary notices incorporated in or accompanying the individual files.” Data Methodology: The data is maintained by the Office of Information Management and Analysis at the State Water Resources Control Board and provided by participating watewater treatment plants and laboratories. Some of the data records may not be complete or up to date. Some of the data is directly reported and may have not been reviewed or veryfied for accuracy and completeness (QAQC).
State of California. The data can be filtered by spatial references such as Latitude and Longitude, County, etc.
Information per sampling event
English
CSV (Flat File)