Alberta’s largest research universities team up to track evidence of COVID-19 in wastewater of 3.2 million people across Alberta

Calgary and Edmonton, AB – Researchers at the University of Alberta and University of Calgary have teamed up to expand their COVID-19 wastewater monitoring programs across the province. The joint effort monitors the wastewater of approximately 3.2 million people or nearly three-quarters of the population of Alberta, via sampling at 17 wastewater treatment plants and facilities across the province. The Government of Alberta has provided $3.4 million in funding to support the program.

“Genetic material from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is excreted in the feces of those who are pre-symptomatic, asymptomatic, as well as those with overt symptoms. Wastewater data allows us to identify and track the amount of COVID-19 cases in an identified area, even if they haven’t been clinically diagnosed. We know that testing wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 can help identify cases and predict outbreaks.”

Dr. Michael Parkins, MD, project co-lead, associate professor at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM)

Researchers from the University of Calgary are monitoring wastewater treatment plants in Fort McMurray, Airdrie, Canmore, Calgary, Drumheller, Okotoks, Strathmore and Taber while researchers from University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry are covering Grande Prairie, Cold Lake, Fort Saskatchewan, Edmonton, Red Deer, Banff, High River, Medicine Hat and Lethbridge. In total, the wastewater of 25 cities, towns and communities is being monitored for traces of the virus in this way. The program is expected to grow as additional municipalities begin to participate. 

Samples will be taken three times a week and results will be shared on the COVID Data Tracker website, which allows members of the public to view recent data points in different communities, to see how cases are trending. Researchers at the CSM’s Centre for Health Informatics have been providing regular online reporting of the wastewater results from Calgary for nearly a year with publicly available real-time data.

The program builds on several successful COVID-19 wastewater projects that have been led by researchers teams from the University of Alberta and UCalgary respectively, in partnership with Alberta Health Services, The City of Calgary, and EPCOR.

“We already have 17 months of data to show how the wastewater testing correlated with community infection, so it is a useful surveillance tool. By merging the capacity and expertise of the two teams from UCalgary and U of A, we will enhance our understanding of the whole province.”

Dr. Xiaoli Lilly Pang, MD, PhD, project co-lead, professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta and microbiology program leader with Alberta Precision Laboratories

“Community-level information about the prevalence of COVID-19 is a valuable tool that will assist our public health teams to identify potential outbreaks and make decisions about how to respond quickly to prevent spread of the disease.”

Dr. Laura McDougall, MD, senior medical officer of health for Alberta Health Services

“Wastewater monitoring is an important part of our robust overall COVID-19 surveillance system with a proven track-record. This funding will expand that program so public health officials and policy makers can identify and monitor the prevalence of the virus in communities across Alberta. By identifying trends and impacts in specific areas, our COVID-19 response can be better tailored to conditions on the ground.”

Jason Copping, Alberta Minister of Health

The timing of the network is crucial at this point in the pandemic. “Given climbing vaccination rates, we expect over time to see more asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic infections – accordingly, patients may not get COVID tested and would go unrecognized,” says Parkins. “Wastewater testing doesn’t discriminate and is the best way of comprehensively monitoring municipal COVID-19 case rates.”

Researchers from the University of Alberta and University of Calgary are available for media interviews.

 

Media Contacts

Ross Neitz
Communications Associate
Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, U of A        
780-297-8354
rneitz@ualberta.ca

Kyle Marr
Senior Communications Specialist
Cumming School of Medicine
+1.403.473.6049
kyle.marr@ucalgary.ca

 

Michael Parkins is an associate professor in the departments of Medicine, and Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Cumming School of Medicine. He is a member of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases. He is Section Chief of Infectious Disease, Calgary Zone Alberta Health Services. 

Xiaoli Lilly Pang is a professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. She is also the microbiology program leader for Alberta’s Public Health Laboratory.

UCalgary samples are processed at Advancing Canadian Wastewater Assets (ACWA) a globally unique test bed and research facility where researchers, municipalities and industry can de-risk wastewater treatment and monitoring technologies. It is a partnership between the University of Calgary and The City of Calgary, as part of the Urban Alliance.

 

About the University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a global intellectual hub located in Canada’s most enterprising city. In our spirited, high-quality learning environment, students thrive in programs made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. Our strategy drives us to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, engaging the communities we both serve and lead.

For more information, visit ucalgary.ca. Stay up to date with University of Calgary news headlines on Twitter @UCalgary. For details on faculties and how to reach experts go to our media center at ucalgary.ca/newsroom.

About the University of Alberta
The University of Alberta in Edmonton is one of Canada's top teaching and research universities, with an international reputation for excellence across the humanities, sciences, creative arts, business, engineering, and health sciences. Home to more than 38,000 students and 15,000 faculty and staff, the university has an annual budget of $1.9 billion and attracts more than $500 million in sponsored research revenue. The U of A offers close to 900 rigorous undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs in 18 faculties on five campuses-including one rural and one francophone campus. The university has more than 275,000 alumni worldwide. The university and its people remain dedicated to the promise made in 1908 by founding president Henry Marshall Tory that knowledge shall be used for “uplifting the whole people.”