Vision

To enhance the capabilities of wastewater surveillance data in combating emerging diseases, promoting public health resilience and fostering community engagement across New York State.  

To utilize wastewater surveillance as a vital tool in tracking and addressing emerging diseases, enhancing community well-being through timely and actionable data, guiding targeted public health interventions, and promoting a culture of readiness in the face of evolving public health threats.

Mission

Our History

  • March 2020

    Syracuse University and community partners began testing wastewater on campus after SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in wastewater by Dutch researchers in March. 

  • August 2020

    The New York State Department of Health funded a wastewater surveillance pilot in four New York State cities: Newburgh, Albany, Syracuse, and Buffalo. 

  • August 2021

    The New York State Department of Health and Syracuse University officially launched the New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network, joining CDC NWSS.

  • November 2021

    The New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network began providing weekly updates to local health departments and wastewater treatment plants. 

  • January 2022

    The New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network launched a publicly-accessible dashboard to share SARS-CoV-2 wastewater data in nearly real-time.

  • July 2022

    The Network detected poliovirus in wastewater, which was genetically linked to a polio case in Rockland County. The Network began routine testing for poliovirus.

  • August 2022

    The New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network expanded the participation of wastewater treatment plants to every county in New York State.

  • August 2023

    The New York State Network reached over 200 partnerships with wastewater treatment plants, serving about 15 million New Yorkers. 

  • July 2024

    The New York State Network provided free autosamplers to a number of participating wastewater treatment plants across the state.

  • August 2024

    The New York State Network was recognized nationally by the CDC as a National Wastewater Surveillance System Center of Excellence (CoE). 

  • October 2024

    The New York State CoE launched a remote assistance program to provide technical assistance to jurisdictions and held its first monthly regional webinar. 

  • January 2025

    The New York State Network started transitioning wastewater laboratory testing to the New York State Department of Health’s Wadsworth Center. 

  • May 2025

    The New York State CoE hosted its inaugural Wastewater Surveillance Symposium with tools to strengthen jurisdictional programs. 

  • July 2025

    The New York State CoE launched a communication library, a communications Toolkit, and a how-to guide for building a wastewater surveillance program. 

  • October 2025

    The New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network hosted its inaugural Wastewater Surveillance Summit.

Wastewater Surveillance in New York

The New York State Department of Health in partnership with Syracuse University established the New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network to help combat and track emerging diseases, promote public health resilience, and foster community engagement across New York State. The New York State Network now consists of 170+ partnerships with wastewater treatment plants, serving more than 15 million New Yorkers across the state.

In this collaborative effort, participating wastewater treatment plants across New York State provide community-representative wastewater samples that are analyzed by Network-affiliated laboratories. Public health professionals use these data to identify and track infectious diseases and emerging pathogens. These findings are shared with the public through our dashboards and with local authorities, assisting them in their response efforts and guiding public health strategies.

In August 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Wastewater Surveillance System designated New York as a National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) Center of Excellence (CoE). The New York State NWSS CoE is dedicated to advancing wastewater surveillance through leadership, innovation, research, and communication of wastewater data. Our efforts foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and help empower jurisdictions to lead their own wastewater surveillance programs. 

New York NWSS Center of Excellence

The New York NWSS Center of Excellence supports wastewater surveillance program in the following states and territories:

  • Connecticut (CT)

  • Maine (ME)

  • Massachusetts (MA)

  • New Hampshire (NH)

  • New Jersey (NJ)

  • New York (NY)

  • Puerto Rico (PR)

  • Rhode Island (RI)

  • U.S. Virgin Islands (VI)

  • Vermont (VT)