Ashburton District Council will be sending weekly samples of its wastewater for analysis, to help monitor the spread of Covid-19 in its communities.

Samples taken from the Wilkins Road treatment plant at Tinwald will be sent to the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) in Christchurch for testing, as part of the nationwide Covid-19 wastewater testing programme.

The Wilkins Road plant treats wastewater from toilets, sinks, and drains in the Ashburton, Tinwald and Lake Hood communities.

An auto-sampler will take wastewater before treatment over a 24-hour period on a Tuesday and send it off for testing.

Council Infrastructure Services Group Manager Neil McCann said at least six samples had been sent since the Delta outbreak last August as part of routine surveillance monitoring for Covid-19.

“Now we have been asked by ESR to send them on a weekly basis to Christchurch and our first sample will go next week. It’s possible we could end up sending two samples weekly, and also include Methven.

“Wastewater testing is another tool in the kit to monitor how Covid-19 is spreading. It can alert local communities to be more vigilant, keep up hygiene measures, or get tested and stay home if they are unwell.”

ESR tests the wastewater to see if it contains fragments of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. People who have Covid-19 shed the virus in their faeces.

Ashburton’s results and that of other towns and cities in Canterbury, and around the country, will be available online at https://www.esr.cri.nz/our-expertise/covid-19-response/wastewater-testing-results/