Establishing a Statewide Wastewater Surveillance System in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Reliable Model for Continuous and Emerging Public Health Threats.

Context: The COVID-19 pandemic sparked efforts across the globe to implement wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2.

Program: New York State (NYS) established the NYS Wastewater Surveillance Network to estimate the levels of COVID-19 community risk and to provide an early indication of SARS-CoV-2 transmission trends. The network is designed to provide a better understanding of public health burdens and to assist health departments to respond effectively to public health threats.