Wastewater testing is vital for public health. It needs sustained funding to continue beyond fall 2026.
The CDC's National Wastewater Surveillance System faces a funding cliff in 2026 that could jeopardize the country's ability to track infectious diseases like COVID-19. Health organizations are lobbying Congress to secure dedicated, long-term funding in the 2027 federal budget.
Why it matters
Wastewater surveillance has become a critical, non-invasive tool for public health monitoring, especially as individual clinical testing has declined.
Wastewater surveillance in the U.S. for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases may be curtailed starting this fall unless the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) receives more funding for its program.
The article presents a policy-focused argument regarding public health infrastructure funding without clear partisan bias.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in