Tempe has added 12 areas to its wastewater testing program that began in 2018 with a focus on opioids, COVID-19 and Xylazine.

The new signals will focus on infectious virus illnesses and vector-borne diseases, according to a city release.

“Studying wastewater provides cities, emergency responders and health partners with actionable data even before data from doctors’ offices or hospitals get reported to public health officials,” Wydale Holmes, director of the Strategic Management and Innovation Office, said.

“Wastewater data can be an important early warning signal and is most useful when used alongside other community-level data.” 

There are 11 collection areas in Tempe.

“Privacy is protected as the collection areas and related data focus on community health of populations greater than 3,000 versus individual health,” the release stated.

The dashboards and collection area maps and data do not capture specific information about individuals or specific locations such as homes or businesses.

The community can view the public dashboard for regular updates. 

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