CDPHE – Colorado.gov

Colorado’s Wastewater Surveillance Program: A Framework for Advancing Sustainable Development Goals

Enhancing Public Health and Well-being (SDG 3)

The Colorado Wastewater Surveillance Program is a critical public health instrument that directly contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being. By monitoring community wastewater, the program provides early warnings of infectious disease trends, enabling timely and targeted public health responses to protect community health.

• Comprehensive Disease Monitoring: The program actively tracks key pathogens to safeguard community health. Data is systematically collected for SARS-CoV-2, Influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), and Mpox.
• Accessible Data for Public Good: A public-facing Wastewater Surveillance Dashboard provides transparent access to data, empowering communities and health officials with the information needed to make informed decisions in line with SDG 3 targets.
• Equitable Health Strategy: This surveillance method serves as a non-invasive and anonymous tool for understanding disease prevalence at a population level, supporting the overarching goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all.

Leveraging Sanitation Infrastructure for Resilient Communities (SDG 6 & SDG 11)

This initiative demonstrates an innovative use of essential infrastructure, aligning with SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). It repurposes wastewater systems not only for sanitation but as a vital source of public health intelligence, thereby enhancing community resilience against health threats.

• Value of Sanitation Systems (SDG 6): The program underscores the importance of robust and comprehensive wastewater management systems as a foundational element for advanced public health monitoring.
• Building Community Resilience (SDG 11): By providing an early detection system for potential outbreaks, the program helps cities and communities prepare for and respond effectively to health shocks, contributing to the development of safe, resilient, and sustainable human settlements.

Fostering Partnerships and Knowledge Sharing (SDG 17)

Effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals relies on strong collaborations and open access to information, as outlined in SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The Colorado Wastewater Surveillance Program provides multiple resources to facilitate stakeholder engagement, transparency, and knowledge dissemination.

1. Program Information Resources: Comprehensive documentation is available detailing the principles of wastewater surveillance, its benefits, limitations, and testing methodologies. This promotes transparency and fosters understanding and collaboration among diverse partners.
2. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): A dedicated resource, available in both English and Spanish, addresses common inquiries to ensure accessible and inclusive communication for all stakeholders, reinforcing the principle of leaving no one behind.
3. Stakeholder Engagement Updates: A dedicated mailing list provides regular updates on programmatic developments, including dashboard enhancements, data analysis, and laboratory methods, promoting continuous engagement and strengthening partnerships with the public and professional communities.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on Colorado’s Wastewater Surveillance Program connects to the following Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The program is a public health initiative designed to monitor and provide early warnings for communicable diseases, directly contributing to the health and well-being of the population.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The surveillance method relies on existing wastewater and sanitation infrastructure. It involves monitoring the biological quality of wastewater, which is an aspect of water quality management.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: By providing a tool for early detection of disease outbreaks, the program enhances the resilience of communities against public health emergencies, making them safer.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

1. Target 3.3: By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases.
   • Explanation: The program directly addresses this target by monitoring several “other communicable diseases,” including SARS-CoV-2, Influenza, RSV, EV-D68, and Mpox, as mentioned in the description of the Wastewater Surveillance Dashboard. This surveillance helps public health officials track and combat the spread of these diseases.
2. Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.
   • Explanation: The entire Wastewater Surveillance Program is an example of strengthening capacity for “early warning” and “risk reduction.” By testing wastewater, the program can detect increases in viral circulation in a community before people seek medical care, providing an early signal of a potential outbreak.

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

1. Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution… halving the proportion of untreated wastewater…
   • Explanation: While the program’s primary goal is not wastewater treatment, its function is predicated on the collection of wastewater. The act of monitoring pathogens in wastewater is a form of water quality assessment. This data can inform public health risks associated with wastewater and highlight the importance of sanitation systems in managing communicable diseases.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

1. Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected… caused by disasters…
   • Explanation: Disease epidemics are a form of disaster. The surveillance program acts as a preparedness and early warning system to mitigate the impact of these public health disasters. By providing timely data, it allows for quicker public health responses, which can reduce the number of people affected by an outbreak.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article implies several indicators through the data and activities it describes:

• For Target 3.3 (Combat communicable diseases): The data on the “Wastewater Surveillance Dashboard” for SARS-CoV-2, Influenza, RSV, EV-D68, and Mpox serves as a proxy indicator for the incidence and community spread of these diseases. This data can be used to track trends over time, similar to how official indicators like Indicator 3.3.2 (Tuberculosis incidence per 100,000 population) are used. The wastewater data provides a community-level measure of pathogen circulation.
• For Target 3.d (Early warning and risk reduction): The existence and operational capacity of the “Colorado’s Wastewater Surveillance Program” itself is an implied indicator of progress. It demonstrates a tangible implementation of an early warning system, which relates to Indicator 3.d.1 (International Health Regulations (IHR) capacity and health emergency preparedness). The program’s dashboard, updates, and lab methods are all measures of this capacity.
• For Target 6.3 (Improve water quality): The monitoring of pathogens in wastewater is a form of water quality measurement, although not a traditional one. The data collected contributes to an understanding of the biological quality of water bodies receiving treated or untreated wastewater, which is related to the goal of Indicator 6.3.2 (Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality).

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: cdphe.colorado.gov