International Roundup of advice on Coronavirus and Sewer Operation
(last update 15th May 2020, 16:27 h CET)
We are keeping you updated with information concerning the effects of the Coronavirus on sewer and wastewater treatment operations.
The resources of the KomNetABWASSER / ComNet WasteWater can be accessed at the KomNetABWASSER website.
The international links we have identified so far are listed by country below.
What is available
The information publicly available online relating to sewer network operation comprises:
- Fact Sheets on the virus and its expected behaviour in water/wastewater
- Currently mainly inferred from known characteristics of similar viruses
- Advice on need to prioritise sewer operations
- Advice on organisation of delivery of services
- Advice on the protection of staff
- Discussions on what research is needed
- News articles on particular topics
Overall:
- WHO appears to be the most commonly cited high level Fact Sheet.
- Most sewerage specific guidance also refers to national public health authority guidance.
- National water/sewerage associations offer varying degrees of information to members and links to other sources.
- Those with health and safety committees are providing more detailed guidance, particularly on personal protection for staff.
- Some water/sewerage associations and companies provide online information for customers, often a fact sheet.
Advice for sewer operation:
- Being led by national water/sewerage associations and national water industry research organisations
- Some information from sector regulators
- In general what is published is high level advice to sewer network owners on actions.
- Particular focus on health and safety of employees
- Occasionally more detailed lists of actions are available.
<!--New links added since the last update on 24th March
- Article on results of testing in The Netherlands confirming presence of Covid-19 virus in wastewater – see The Netherlands - RIVM
- European Commission links to its activities and the national advice to citizens by member states – see European Commission
- Advice to drainage contractors on continuing to work – see UK - NADC
- information and guidelines for water utilities – see Finland - FIWA
- general measures and specific measures for water and wastewater – see Spain – AEAS & AGA
- Briefing note on risks to water industry – see UK - UKWIR
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WHO (World Health Organisation)
Water, sanitation, hygiene and waste management for COVID-19 – Technical brief (3rd March 2020)
Technical summary of information on the virus and actions
Advice in Australia
NEW Melbourne Water
Melbourne Water helps lead national sewage testing project in fight against COVID-19 (20th April 2020)
Sample analysis will help inform COVID-19 controls by indicating disease prevalence in the community.
NEW Water Research Australia
Improving current enteric viral surveillance through wastewater monitoring
Fact sheet
NEW Central Highlands Water
Water Services Association of Australia
COVID-19 Fact Sheet (2nd April 2020)
Fact sheet for public on water and wastewater
Water Research Australia
SARS-CoV-2 – Water and Sanitation
Fact sheet for water and sanitation industry
Advice in Austria
NEW ÖWAV (Austrian waste water association)
Abwasserentsorgung trotz Corona-Pandemie gesichert (24th April 2020)
Wastewater disposal secured despite corona pandemic
ÖWAV (Austrian waste water association)
Coronavirus: Informationen für die Betreiber von Abwasseranlagen
Recommendations for sewer network operation
Landeshauptstadt St. Pölten (City of Sankt Pölten)
COVID-19: Ver- und Entsorgung langfristig gesichert (17th March 2020)
Advice note to public on water, waste and sewers
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Advice in Czech Republic
Asio
Jak odstranit koronavirus z koloběhu vody? (6th March 2020)-->
Advice in Belgium
NEW RTBF (Radio-Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française)
Coronavirus : que révèlent nos eaux usées ? (5th May 2020)
Belgian public service broadcasting organisation on what wastewater reveals about the coronavirus
VLARIO
Financiële implicaties van de COVID-19 crisis voor de riolerings- en waterzuiveringssector (10th Aril 2020)
Statement on financial implications for Flemish sewerage and water treatment sector
Advice in Denmark
NEW Danva (Danish Water and Wastewater Association)
Nyt fra medlemmerne: Spildevand kan gøre os klogere på coronavirus (23th April 2020)
“News from members: Sewage can make us smarter about coronavirus”
Danva (Danish Water and Wastewater Association)
Beredskab sikrer danskernes vand og spildevand (12th March 2020)
Actions taken by Danva
Advice from the European Commission
European Commission
Coronavirus response
European Commission response, not sewerage specific
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
National information resources for the public on COVID-19
Webpage with links to each Member State’s National information resources for the public
Advice in Finland
VVY (Finnish Water Utilities Association FIWA)
Vesihuoltolaitokset ovat varautuneet turvaamaan riittävän henkilöstön epidemiatilanteessa
Information and guidelines for water utilities
Advice in France
NEW France Bleu
Forte concentration de coronavirus dans les eaux usées, les égoutiers inquiets pour leur santé (13th May 2020)
French public service radio network on sewage workers worrying about their health because of high concentration of coronavirus in sewage
NEW APSAM – Association paritaire pour la santé et la sécurité du travail, secteur « affaires municipales »
COVID-19 : Spécifications lors de contact avec des eaux usées (12th May 2020)
COVID-19: Wastewater Contact Specifications
NEW France Bleu
Le coronavirus est-il présent dans les eaux usées ? Une étude lancée en Haute-Vienne (8th May 2020)
Is coronavirus present in wastewater? A study launched in Haute-Vienne
NEW Eau de Paris
Nous participons activement à la recherche sur le coronavirus (7th May 2020)
The Paris water and wastewater company about its active involvement in coronavirus research
Advice in Germany
NEW Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ)
Integrales SARS-CoV-2-Abwassermonitoring – Team aus Wissenschaftlern und Betreibern von Kläranlagen will aus Abwasserproben auf den SARS-CoV-2-Infektionsgrad der Bevölkerung schließen (8th May 2020)
Team of scientists and operators wants to draw conclusions from wastewater samples about the SARS-CoV-2 infection level of the population
NEW Bayrischer Rundfunk
Frühwarnsystem: Was Abwasser über die Corona-Verbreitung verrät (4th May 2020)
Bavarian public service brodcasting station on detection of Sars-CoV-2 in wastewater in minute quantities before corona infections became known in the region concerned
NEW DWA – Deutsche Vereinigung für Wasser, Abwasser und Abfall (German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste)
Pandemiemaßnahmen in Abwasserbetrieben – Information des DWA-Fachausschusses BIZ-4 „Arbeits- und Gesundheitsschutz“ (20th April 2020)
Pandemic Measures in Sewage Plants – Information of the Technical Committee “Occupational Health and Safety”
DWA
Gefährdung durch Coronavirus – SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 bei Arbeiten in abwassertechnischen Anlagen
Handling the risk when working in waste water systems
KomNetABWASSER
Kommunales Netzwerk Abwasser (ComNet WasteWater – Municipal Network Wastewater)
Home page of the KomNetABWASSER, author of this web page
Corona-Krise: Abwasserbetriebe teilen Arbeitshilfen
Working aids being shared by KomNet members
Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung DGUV (German Social Accident Insurance)
10 Tipps zur betrieblichen Pandemieplanung
Business planning
Bundesamt für Bevölkerungsschutz und Katastrophenhilfe (Federal Office for Civil Protection)
Handbuch Betriebliche Pandemieplanung
Manual for pandemic planning
BAuA – Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin (Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
Antworten auf häufig gestellte Fragen zu Tätigkeiten im Gesundheitswesen und in Laboren
Risk assessment waste water operations
Robert Koch-Institut (RKI)
SARS-CoV-2 Steckbrief zur Coronavirus-Krankheit-2019 (COVID-19) – Übertragungswege
Transmission routes
EUWID Wasser und Abwasser (Special interest magazine on water and wastewater)
Multibarrieren-System: Regeln der Technik schützen Trinkwasser vor Coronaviren (17th March 2020)
Multibarrier system protects drinking water from corona viruses
DWA
Gefährdung durch Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 bei Arbeiten in abwassertechnischen Anlagen (5th March 2020)
Protection when working in wastewater treatment plants
News from Israel
NEW ISRAEL21c
Tracking coronavirus outbreak through sewage system (5th May 2020)
<!--"ISRAEL21c is an American online magazine focused on technological and scientific advances made by researchers in Israel, and on covering of Israeli society and culture." (Wikipedia)-->
New methodology to trace the SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) virus through the sewage and wastewater systems
Advice in Italy
NEW Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri ‑ IRCCS
Covid-19: le acque reflue sono indicatori di diffusione (29th April 2020)
About wastewater as an indicator of the diffusion of the coronavirus
ARERA (Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and Environment)
Emergenza Covid-19 (11th March 2020)
Statement by regulator
UTILITALIA (Federation of companies operating the public services of water, the environment, electricity and gas)
COVID-19 – Comunicato ARERA dell’11 marzo 2020 (11th March 2020)
Refers to the above
ASPI – Associazione Nazionale Gestori Rifiuti ‑ Manutenzioni e Spurghi reti fognarie ed idriche (National Association of Waste Managers ‑ Maintenance and Drainage of sewerage and water networks)
Coronavirus, acqua e servizi igienico-sanitari (12th March 2020)
Statement on risk and requirements for H&S
Advice in The Netherlands
NEW KWR Water Research Institute
COVID-19 Sewage Surveillance must-reads (13th May 2020)
List of all KWR-publications on SARS-CoV-2 in sewage water
NEW Stichting RIONED (RIONED Foundation)
Podcast Stadswerk: vijf vragen over riolering en corona (11th May 2020)
A podcast answering five questions on sewerage and corona
NEW H2O Online (KNW Waternetwerk)
RIVM test op 29 locaties rioolwater op aanwezigheid coronavirus (11th May 2020)
National Institute testing wastewater for coronavirus
NEW KWR Water Research Institute
Monitoring of coronavirus-RNA (SARS-CoV2) in sewage: an early warning system (8th May 2020)
Monitoring the presence of the Coronavirus in sewage can give an early indication of the contamination within a whole population.
NEW KWR Water Research Institute
Update COVID-19 Sewage research (6th May 2020)
Summary of research results
RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment)
Novel coronavirus found in wastewater (English version)
Article on results of testing in The Netherlands confirming presence of Covid-19 virus in wastewater
Stichting RIONED (RIONED Foundation)
Urban water management and the corona virus (10th March 2020)
Advice on safety
KNW – Koninklijk Nederlands Waternetwerk (Royal Dutch Water Network)
RIONED: Riolering en afvalwaterzuivering cruciale processen bij omgang met coronavirus (17th March 2020)
Article about waterboards postponing bills
STOWA
Het Coronavirus & afvalwater
Q&A on corona virus in wastewater and surface water in The Netherlands
Advice in Poland
NEW Izba Gospodarcza „Wodociągi Polskie”
Przedsiębiorstwa wodociągowe w walce z koronawirusem
Polish Chamber of Commerce for Water Supply on water supply companies in the fight against coronavirus
Portal Samorzadowy
Koronawirus w ściekach. IGWP zaleca ostrożność (9th March 2020)
Advice
Wydawnictwo INŻYNIERIA
Koronawirus: czy jest ryzyko dla pracowników branży wod-kan? (11th March 2020)
Article on risk for employees in the water and sewage industry
Portal Komunalny
Wodociągi: należy lepiej oczyszczać ścieki ze szpitala (17th March 2020)
Article about disinfection of sewage from a hospital
Advice in Spain
NEW iAgua Conocimiento
En directo: Última hora del coronavirus en el sector del agua
A constantly updated collection of links to articles on the effects of coronavirus on the water sector
NEW Valencia Plaza
València, a la caza del coronavirus en las aguas residuales (11th May 2020)
Valencian newspaper on the search for the coronavirus in sewage
NEW EMASESA (Empresa Metropolitana de Abastecimiento y Saneamiento de Aguas de Sevilla)
Las actuales medidas de protección empleadas para trabajar de manera segura con aguas residuales son adecuadas para la protección frente al SARS-CoV-2 (8th May 2020)
“The current protective measures used to work safely with waste water are suitable for protection against SARS-CoV-2”
AEAS (Spanish Association of Water and Sanitation Supplies) and AGA (Spanish Association of Management Companies of Urban Water Services)
AEAS y AGA ponen a disposición del sector varios documentos con recomendaciones y medidas a adoptar ante la crisis del COVID-19
Series of related documents with recommendations and proposals for general measures to be adopted and specific information for water and wastewater
AGUASRESIDUALES.INFO
Medidas, datos y recomendaciones de la OMS sobre el conoravirus para el sector del agua (13th March 2020)
Advice to water and sewerage network owners
TECHNOAQUA
Agua y coronavirus: medidas a aportar en las instalaciones de aguas residuales (18th March 2020)
Article about the AEAS/AGA advice
Advice in Switzerland
VSA (Swiss Water Association)
Infoblatt zum Corona-Virus – Fiche d’information sur le coronavirus – Opuscolo informativo sul coronavirus
Fact Sheet for sewer networks
Advice in the United Kingdom
NEW Bangor University
What our sewage can reveal about Covid-19 infection rates in the community (11th May 20202
Monitoring the background levels of coronavirus in wastewater treatment works within different areas
NEW University of Stirling
Sewage poses potential COVID-19 transmission risk, experts warn (6th May 2020)
Experts believe the virus could also be spread in wastewater.
UKWIR – UK Water Industry Research
UKWIR Briefing Note on risks posed to the water industry by the newly emergent 2019 novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) (12th February)
Briefing note on risks to water industry
DWI (Drinking Water Inspectorate)
Guidance on Drinking Water Supply Operations in Response to Coronavirus (Covid-19) (6th March 2020)
Drinking water
Public Health England
COVID-19: guidance for employers and businesses (10th March 2020)
General guidance to business
NADC – National Association of Drainage Contractors
Covid-19 Advice
Advice to drainage contractors on continuing to work
Advice in the USA
WRF – The Water Research Foundation
Coronavirus Research Update WEBCAST (12th March 2020)
Links to webcast on corona virus
MWRD – The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
Fact Sheet Coronavirus
Fact sheet on risk associated with sewerage
KDHE – Kansas Department of Health and Environment
COVID-19 Water and Wastewater Guidance
Guidance for Drinking Water and Wastewater Operators
OSHA – Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Control and Prevention – Solid Waste and Wastewater
Risk to wastewater treatment operators
tpo Magazine
COVID-19 Guidance for Wastewater Workers (5th March 2020)
Article on information and advice for water and wastewater professionals
of Arizona, Water & Energy Sustainable Technology Center (WEST)
Sewage Surveillance: WEST tests wastewater to determine Coronavirus presence in communities (6th March 2020)
Article on sewage monitoring programme
Sewage Surveillance for Coronavirus
Article on testing sewage for corona virus
Contact persons
- Iain Naismith
IKT & ComNet WasteWater
T: +44 (0) 7983 605219
E: naismith@ikt.institute - Marco Schlüter
IKT & KomNetABWASSER
T: +49 (0) 209 17806-31
E: schlueter@ikt.institute