Program History
The Wisconsin Wastewater Monitoring Program was launched in May 2020 and has been growing and adding more capabilities ever since!
Milestones
2020
- March – National emergency declared to respond to COVID-19
- May-August – Development of methods for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater
- September – Routine wastewater sampling begins at 72 Wisconsin utilities
- December – DHS wastewater dashboard launched
2021
- December – Laboratory method changes to digital PCR
2022
- January – Begin routine sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 for variant tracking
- February – Begin routine surveillance for influenza A & B
- September – Begin routine surveillance for Respiratory Syncytial Virus
- December – Wastewater genomic dashboard launched
2023
- July – Wisconsin named NWSS Center of Excellence
- August – Begin routine surveillance for norovirus (GI & GII)
2024
- May – Launch of Wastewater Laboratory Proficiency Testing
- July – Wastewater monitoring of Republican National Convention in Milwaukee
- September – Begin routine surveillance for avian influenza H5N1
2025
- February – Begin routine surveillance for mpox viruses (Clade I & II)
- April – Wastewater monitoring of NFL Draft in Green Bay
- June – Begin routine surveillance for measles
- November – Launched influenza and RSV statewide respiratory dashboards