Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District is proud to be part of Wisconsin’s collaborative wastewater surveillance network. And new public dashboards are making data more accessible and meaningful than ever.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) and the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) have recently launched two new public dashboards to help people better understand respiratory illness trends across the state. These new tools build on the statewide COVID-19 wastewater surveillance network and help give Madison-area residents, public health partners and decision-makers a clearer picture of respiratory illness trends in our community and statewide.
Why Wastewater Monitoring Matters
When people are sick with viruses like COVID-19, influenza or RSV, they shed viral material that ends up in wastewater, often before symptoms appear or testing occurs. By monitoring wastewater from our service area, public health officials can detect trends early and track community-level illness trends while protecting individual privacy.
Importantly, this wastewater data is:
- Anonymous. No personal or household data is collected
- Inclusive. Captures trends across the community, regardless of healthcare access or testing behavior.
- Early. Data can signal rising illness before clinical data from reported cases.
The District has participated in wastewater surveillance since the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to contribute data to this effort, supporting statewide public health.
New Tools the Public Can Explore
A Redesigned Program Homepage
The new Wisconsin Wastewater Monitoring Program homepage provides a clearer, more user-friendly starting point for understanding how wastewater surveillance works, which viruses are being monitored, how samples are collected, and how to interpret the data and trends. The resource is a great starting point for anyone new to wastewater monitoring or for those who want a refresher.
Statewide Respiratory Summary Dashboard
The new Respiratory Summary Dashboard consolidates multiple wastewater data streams to provide a comprehensive view of respiratory virus activity across Wisconsin. It helps users quickly identify trends and understand how virus levels change over time.
Influenza A, B and RSV Wastewater Dashboard
A new, dedicated public dashboard now tracks Influenza A, Influenza B and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) across Wisconsin. The data adds an important layer of awareness during respiratory virus season. For Madison-area residents, these indicators provide an additional means to stay informed about flu and RSV activity during the illness season, particularly when traditional testing or reporting may be limited.
From Local Sewers to Statewide Insight
Wastewater samples collected from the District service area are analyzed by WSLH and included in statewide reporting. Our local results are shared with public health partners and summarized alongside data from dozens of communities across Wisconsin. Our continued participation in the statewide wastewater surveillance network ensures the data remains robust, reliable and reflective of communities statewide. By contributing consistent, high-quality data, we’re helping to identify and detect emerging illness trends, supporting public health preparedness and response, and enhancing our understanding of how viruses spread through communities.
These new dashboards make wastewater data easier to understand and use for residents, health professionals, educators and community leaders alike. While wastewater monitoring doesn’t replace clinical testing, it adds a powerful layer of insight into community health.
Read more about the District’s role in wastewater surveillance in the related article “COVID-19 monitoring in Wisconsin wastewater.”
