AQW 18916/17-22

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 14/05/2021
Answered On Date: 25/05/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for an update on the learning from monitoring wastewater for COVID-19 in Northern Ireland

Answer:

The DAERA and Science Foundation Ireland co-funded a research project to establish an integrated system for all-island SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus) wastewater surveillance and reporting was completed at the end of March 2021.

Under the project, the Queens University Belfast (QUB) established a wastewater epidemiology capability and methodologies to track SARS-CoV-2 viral levels in wastewater samples.

Wastewater sampling commenced at 2 sites on 11th January 2021 and processing of samples on 26th January 2021. On the 19th April 2021 additional sampling commenced at a further 12 sites across the province covering approximately 36% of the population of the province.

Results to-date indicate varying levels of coronavirus in wastewater treatment works sampled and trends are in line with clinical testing trends. Wastewater surveillance is currently being used to inform and support public health interventions across Northern Ireland. This work has involved close cooperation between Queen’s University Belfast, DAERA, Department of Health, Public Health Agency and Northern Ireland Water.

My officials have continued to work with DEFRA, other Devolved Administrations and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), to inform development of a NI programme for SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus) surveillance in wastewater.

DAERA officials are continuing to work collaboratively with counterparts in the Department for Health (DoH), the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the Department for Infrastructure and Northern Ireland Water (NIW) to progress the development of an effective cross-departmental approach to wastewater surveillance.