A comprehensive testing program has found there are no traces of the virus which causes COVID-19 in Canberra’s city sewage system.
The Australian National University (ANU) announced the findings after experts from its ranks conducted a testing program on the city’s sewage water for traces of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Environmental epidemiologist and project lead at ANU, Aparna Lal said testing sewage was a rapid and inexpensive way of tracking the Coronavirus and potential community transmission.
“We tested 25 samples in May from Icon Water’s sewage treatment plant, covering the whole of ACT population, and found no traces of SARS-CoV-2 RNA (Ribonucleic acid),” Dr Lal said.
“This coincides with the period that the ACT was declared free of any new Coronavirus cases,” she said.
“These are excellent outcomes, and show the Canberra community are listening to and following health advice and that we are all working extremely hard to stop the potential spread of COVID-19.”
Dr Lal said samples from the sewage treatment plant were analysed using advanced genetic testing, to detect SARS-CoV2 and a range of other viruses.
“While genetic material for a number of viruses was identified, indicating the test worked, no traces of SARS-CoV-2 were found in the ACT sewage system,” she said.
“This shows us that we can actively monitor the presence of SARS-CoV-2 through sewage and that based on all the samples we have processed there are no high levels of undetected community transmission in the ACT.”
Dr Lal said that as restrictions were eased, the ANU team would continue to monitor the ACT’s sewage on a daily basis to support the Territory’s public health response to the pandemic.
