# Estimating the number of local Covid-19 cases by testing the sewer water.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/estimating-the-number-of-local-covid-19-cases-by-testing-the-sewer-water/852514>\
**Category:** The Quarantine Zone\
**Tags:** covid-quarantine\
**Created:** [April 24, 2020, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/estimating-the-number-of-local-covid-19-cases-by-testing-the-sewer-water/852514 "2020-04-24T18:16:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/estimating-the-number-of-local-covid-19-cases-by-testing-the-sewer-water/852514/1 "2020-04-24T18:16:26Z")

</div>

My hometown is one of 100 communities that is taking part in an experiment of estimating the local Covid-19 situation by measuring the level of the virus in the local sewer system. Seems like it might have promise. The article is behind a paywall, but you get 5 free clicks a month and if you click on an article you can keep returning to it.

> **[City uses sewage to monitor disease outbreak](https://www.rutlandherald.com/news/covid19/city-uses-sewage-to-monitor-disease-outbreak/article_8b0b5295-51b9-56e5-81e9-c44464f71a35.html)**
>
> The key to knowing when life can return to normal just might be in the sewer.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/estimating-the-number-of-local-covid-19-cases-by-testing-the-sewer-water/852514/2 "2020-04-25T08:12:15Z")

</div>

The same is happening in Australia, where they are using the system set up for estimating illegal drug use by sewer monitoring.

(But in Australia, it’s already too late, because it’s all over.)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/estimating-the-number-of-local-covid-19-cases-by-testing-the-sewer-water/852514/3 "2020-04-25T13:09:59Z")

</div>

> [@Melbourne](#):
>
> The same is happening in Australia, where they are using the system set up for estimating illegal drug use by sewer monitoring.
> 
> (But in Australia, it’s already too late, because it’s all over.)

Or so they think. In communities where there are no confirmed cases they’re still finding it in the sewage.