TCWP Will Test Wastewater for COVID-19

A partnership between Teton County Weed and Pest District , the Teton County Health Department, and the Town of Jackson was created to determine a way to test the wastewater from the Town of Jackson for COVID-19.  Weed and Pest worked with the Teton County Health Department to ensure they had the correct equipment and personal protective equipment to run the wastewater samples in-house.  COVID-19 can be found in human waste and the results will be another data point to understand the presence of COVID-19 in our community. With swab tests still troubled by capacity issues, and slow turnaround, testing wastewater for the novel coronavirus’ genetic signature could give the community a faster way to spot a rebound in cases. Samples are currently being sent to a lab out of state.

"This is a natural fit for the Weed and Pest District as part of our mission is focused on public health,. Our lab capacity was untapped and now with this partnership, we are making a meaningful contribution to save time and resources while providing same-day results. The previous lab used to test the wastewater was located out of state.”

Supervisor Erika Edmiston.

Despite being more experienced in testing West Nile virus than COVID-19, our lab is outfitted with the right equipment and expertise to help make a difference during this pandemic.

Samples will be collected from the Town of Jackson sewer system two times per week beginning July 13th, 2020.