So, have you ever had a conversation with one of those 30 pound brain types? You know, the really smart folks. Did you unwittingly learn something that just astounded you?
I’ve spent the last few days drifting into a subject I could not have imagined exploring when I woke up last Friday. But a 30 minute conversation with a colleague (who easily qualifies as one of the smart ones in any room) sent me plumbing the depths of the internet to learn more about my latest bit of fascinating knowledge. It all started with this:
“The DEA is tracking our poop.”
One line, that’s all it took to ruin me for a solid 72 hours. With that one line, this colleague had me reeling. I wasn’t exactly flush with time this weekend, but what little I had available was suddenly claimed by the concept of Wastewater-based Epidemiology (WBE).
Here’s the skinny: for years now, WBE technology has existed to sample wastewater and track trends in consumption, shedding light on community health issues. Specifically, the Drug Enforcement Administration has partnered with localities to determine trends in narcotics use. The DEA is tracking our poop.
But according to this article, the concept isn’t all that new.
Here, no more false appearance, no possible plastering, the filth takes off its shirt, absolute nakedness, rout of illusions and of mirages, nothing more but what it is . . . The last veil is rent. A sewer is a cynic. It tells all. (Les Miserables; Jean Valjean, Book II, ch 2)
Victor Hugo
I’d like to thank that Stat article for pointing me in the direction of Hugo. Admittedly I haven’t searched for quotes on this topic that pre-date Jean Valjean. But for at least 176 years this has been a philosophical concept to some. I was baffled, though, to learn that modern technology has brought a microphone to our sewer systems so they can deliver their own Ted talk on these trends in community health.
I assert their shop talk would be CAPTIVATING.
By following chemical markers, researchers have been able to predict trends in drug overdoses. Equally important – the same tech has driven some of our targeted efforts to respond to COVID-19. By committing funding to this tech and research, states and localities have tailored their pop-up testing sites to the trend lines they see in the WBE.
Think about this – a program tracking community waste to fight the drug epidemic has played a key role in fighting a global pandemic, and it all hinges on our wastewater treatment infrastructure. It all boils down to our poop.
If you missed this revelation over the past several months you’re not alone. In the coverage of hospitals, stimulus checks, and mask outrage, this topic likely didn’t float to the top. But as of today, I’m calling on us all to pause and thank the real unsung heroes we’ve overlooked for the past 12 months.
Frontline workers continue to deserve their due. But I think we need to pause and consider moving that front line below ground. Somewhere, in a community near you, the wastewater folks deserve their very own round of applause.
These folks already serve as one of the pillars of modern society, allowing ever growing populations to continue living hygienically while in close proximity. But now they’re also providing the access necessary to flex public resources to where they’re most needed.
I’m a proponent of good government. I’ve never believed in one-size-fits-all policy solutions. Our communities and environments are too diverse for blanket approaches. But here is a real innovation in our lifetimes that allows us to do more with less. And while the efficacy will continue to be refined in the years to come, I think we owe it to our wastewater engineers to pause now and say thanks.
Part of the Possible 