COVID-19: Wastewater monitoring dashboard:

We’re working with our partners across Canada as part of a pan-Canadian wastewater monitoring network to determine the spread of COVID-19. Our partners include municipal, provincial and territorial governments, as well as other federal departments and academia.

The wastewater dashboard allows you to track and compare the COVID-19 levels in some major communities in Canada over time. Data are presented as a 7-day rolling average.

The data presented here comes from sewage samples submitted for testing to the National Microbiology Laboratory or a participating partner laboratory.

Some communities are monitoring their wastewater for COVID-19 and publishing their own data. A list of other Canadian wastewater COVID-19 monitoring dashboards and websites is available.

Why we monitor wastewater

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is in the stool (feces) of people while they are infected. Genetic fragments of the virus can be detected in the community wastewater (sewage). By monitoring wastewater we can:

• monitor COVID-19 in communities
• detect COVID-19 in institutional settings such as long-term care facilities
• track which variants are circulating
• monitor other public health threats, including other infectious diseases and trends in antimicrobial resistance

Because people can have COVID-19 without any symptoms, they can sometimes spread it without even knowing they have it. Wastewater monitoring can provide an early warning of COVID-19 in a community or setting. Even a few days of early warning can be critical to the success of public health interventions. It can also be an important source of information for people making their own personal health decisions.

Acknowledgements

We thank participating municipalities for submitting wastewater samples and associated data. We also thank federal, provincial and territorial public health professionals for valued input on the development of this program, as well as the many scientists supporting wastewater monitoring networks nationally.

Canadian Wastewater Survey (CWS)

We’ve been working with Statistics Canada on the Canadian Wastewater Survey (CWS) since March 2020 to conduct wastewater monitoring in Halifax, Montréal, Toronto, Edmonton, and Vancouver.

For more information on the CWS please refer to:

• Canadian Wastewater Survey (CWS)
• Canadian Wastewater Survey (detailed)

Manitoba

We work with the cities of Brandon and Winnipeg and the province of Manitoba to conduct wastewater monitoring in 4 wastewater treatment plants.

New Brunswick

We work with the cities of Bathurst, Campbellton, Fredericton, Miramichi, Moncton and Saint John as well as the province of New Brunswick to conduct wastewater monitoring in 4 wastewater treatment plants and a wastewater treatment lagoon.

Wastewater monitoring data at Saint John and Edmundston is provided by VitalitéNB.

Newfoundland and Labrador

We work with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to conduct COVID-19 wastewater monitoring in St. John’s wastewater treatment plant.

Nova Scotia

We work with the towns of Trenton, Bridgewater, and Yarmouth, the communities of Battery Point, Central Colchester, and Dominion-Bridgeport, and the province of Nova Scotia to conduct wastewater monitoring in 6 wastewater treatment plants.

Prince Edward Island

We work with the cities of Charlottetown and Summerside, the towns of Alberton, Souris, and Stratford, the community of Montague, and the province of Prince Edward Island to conduct wastewater monitoring at 4 wastewater treatment plants and a wastewater treatment lagoon.

Saskatchewan

We work with the City of Regina, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, the University of Regina, and EPCOR Water Prairies to conduct COVID-19 wastewater monitoring at Regina’s wastewater treatment plant.

As of June 1, 2023, Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has taken over wastewater monitoring from the University of Saskatchewan at 3 wastewater treatment plants (Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and North Battleford). SHA also works with various cities, towns, villages and communities to conduct wastewater monitoring across the province. These include the cities of Estevan, Meadow Lake, Melville, Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Weyburn and Yorkton, the towns of Assiniboia, Battleford, Birch Hills, Canora, Lumsden, Maple Creek, Southey, Unity, the village of Île-à-la-Crosse, and the communities of La Ronge and Pasqua.

Yukon

We work with the Government of Champagne and Aishihik First Nations and the village of Haines Junction to conduct wastewater monitoring at a lift station in Haines Junction.