Skip to content
Natural Environment Research Council
Grants on the Web - Return to homepage Logo

Details of Award

NERC Reference : NE/V010441/1

National COVID-19 Wastewater Epidemiology Surveillance Programme

Grant Award

Principal Investigator:
Dr A Singer, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Pollution (Wallingford)
Co-Investigator:
Professor Z Yang, Cranfield University, School of Water, Energy and Environment
Co-Investigator:
Dr A Corbishley, University of Edinburgh, The Roslin Institute
Co-Investigator:
Professor JE McDonald, University of Birmingham, Sch of Biosciences
Co-Investigator:
Dr K B Pouwels, University of Oxford, Population Health
Co-Investigator:
Dr DJ Allen, London Sch of Hygiene & Tropic. Medicine, Infectious and Tropical Diseases
Co-Investigator:
Professor DL Gally, University of Edinburgh, The Roslin Institute
Co-Investigator:
Professor DW Graham, Newcastle University, Sch of Engineering
Co-Investigator:
Dr C P Jewell, Lancaster University, Medicine
Co-Investigator:
Dr DA Dawson, University of Sheffield, School of Biosciences
Co-Investigator:
Dr P E ROBINS, Bangor University, Sch of Ocean Sciences
Co-Investigator:
Professor RR Kao, University of Edinburgh, Roslin Institute
Co-Investigator:
Professor B Kasprzyk-Hordern, University of Bath, Chemistry
Co-Investigator:
Professor S Malham, Bangor University, Sch of Ocean Sciences
Co-Investigator:
Professor TA Burke, University of Sheffield, School of Biosciences
Co-Investigator:
Professor T de Silva, University of Sheffield, Medicine and Biomedical Science
Co-Investigator:
Dr TC Darton, University of Sheffield, Infection Immunity & Cardiovasc Disease
Co-Investigator:
Professor V Speight, University of Sheffield, Civil and Structural Engineering
Co-Investigator:
Professor DL Jones, Bangor University, Sch of Natural Sciences
Co-Investigator:
Dr HS Jensen, University of Sheffield, Chemical & Biological Engineering
Science Area:
None
Overall Classification:
Unknown
ENRIs:
None
Science Topics:
Pollutant transport
Pollution
Water pollution
Water Risk Assessment
Waste Management
Waste Waters Management
Environmental Microbiology
Health risk
Microbiology
Virology
Microorganisms
Coronaviridae
Abstract:
Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) requires relatively few resources compared to the systematic testing of populations. WBE is especially promising for novel infectious diseases, where asymptomatic cases might play a significant role in transmitting the virus. However, WBE is only now being used to monitor the spread of a pandemic infectious disease. Early studies by ourselves and others have shown that SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be recovered from wastewater, including from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) preceding local COVID-19 hospitalisation activity. Given the challenge of making available diagnostic tests to the entire UK population, WBE represents a potentially low-cost and immediate mechanism for understanding levels of infection within large geographic areas. N-WESP aims to compare our methods with those of European & North American WBE teams in an inter-lab trial for understanding, supporting and improving the DEFRA COVID-19 measurements which will feed into the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC). We will also compare methods with DEFRA, the EA's and JBC whilst they explore options for finer geographical measurements. N-WESP will empower public health authorities with an optimised surveillance tool with maximal sensitivity and predictive power whose uncertainties have been well characterised. N-WESP will determine whether SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and sludge is infectious, and to what extent there might be downstream risks to human health. N-WESP will exploit catchment and, uniquely, sub-catchment-scale longitudinal surveillance to understand temporal and spatial heterogeneity, relationships to human disease burden distribution and whether there is potential outbreak 'hotspots' by surveilling sewer system nodes.
Period of Award:
6 Jul 2020 - 5 Nov 2021
Value:
£791,191
Authorised funds only
NERC Reference:
NE/V010441/1
Grant Stage:
Completed
Scheme:
UKRI
Grant Status:
Closed

This grant award has a total value of £791,191  

top of page


FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)

DI - Other CostsIndirect - Indirect CostsDA - InvestigatorsDI - StaffDA - Estate CostsDI - T&SDA - Other Directly Allocated
£110,793£226,086£59,245£295,198£74,583£5,049£20,240

If you need further help, please read the user guide.