At the San Marcos Wastewater Treatment Plant, we conduct COVID-19 wastewater monitoring which preempts clinical case counts by 5 to 10 days and could proactively detect the re-emergence of COVID-19. Jacobs, in collaboration with Biobot Analytics and the City of San Marcos, monitors the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the wastewater. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
To test the wastewater, Biobot Analytics uses protocols adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This approach detects genetic fragments of the virus excreted in stool by qPCR analysis. The data below displays the current detection status, SARS-CoV-2 raw virus concentration and effective virus concentration.