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Centers of Excellence
About Wastewater Centers of Excellence
The National Wastewater Surveillance System Centers of Excellence serve as regional leaders in wastewater surveillance implementation and coordination. They foster innovation, develop and conduct trainings, and provide technical assistance to jurisdictions.
The six Centers of Excellence are led by public health departments and are located in California, Colorado, Houston, New York, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Centers of Excellence advance their mission through a collaborative partnership with academic and utility partners. Sites were competitively selected and funded through the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for the Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (ELC) cooperative agreement.
California Center of Excellence
The California Department of Public Health leads the California Center of Excellence in partnership with Stanford University and Emory University.
They support the following states and territories: Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Marshall Islands, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Palau, and Washington.
For more information about California’s work, visit COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance (ca.gov)
Colorado Center of Excellence
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment leads the Colorado Center of Excellence in partnership with the University of Denver.
They support the following states: Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Utah, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
For more information about Colorado’s work, visit Colorado National Wastewater Surveillance System Center of Excellence.
The Colorado Center of Excellence conducted an evaluation of wastewater surveillance data to monitor enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), a virus that typically causes respiratory illness, ranging from mild (like a common cold) to much more severe. Wastewater surveillance served as an early warning system, detecting infections up to a month before clinical testing. The Colorado Center of Excellence is utilizing this data to prepare healthcare facilities for potential surges during the respiratory virus season.
Houston Center of Excellence
The Houston Health Department leads the Houston Center of Excellence in partnership with Rice University.
They support the following states and localities: Arkansas, the District of Columbia, Chicago, Houston, Louisiana, Los Angeles County, Maricopa County, New Mexico, New York City, Oklahoma, Philadelphia, and Texas.
For more information about Houston’s work, visit Houston Wastewater Epidemiology.
The Houston Center of Excellence is empowering K-12 school staff, students, and families to make data-informed decisions by providing school-level wastewater surveillance data via text. This helps public health officials and individuals know whether COVID-19, influenza, and/or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are circulating within a school. Health and school officials have used this information to plan vaccination clinics at the school, which have also offered opportunities for students to catch up on other missed vaccinations.
New York Center of Excellence
The New York Health Department leads the New York Center of Excellence in partnership with Syracuse University.
They support the following states and territories: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Vermont.
North Carolina Center of Excellence
The North Carolina Health Department leads the North Carolina Center of Excellence in partnership with University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
They support the following states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Wisconsin Center of Excellence
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services leads the Wisconsin Center of Excellence in partnership with the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.
They support the following states: Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
For more information about Wisconsin’s work, visit COVID-19: Wisconsin Wastewater Monitoring Program.