Requesting approval to ratify the application as a mentee site to the NACCHO Wastewater Surveillance grant and approval for County Judge to sign the application documents.

NACCHO will issue a total of eighteen awards for the 2025 cohort of the Wastewater Surveillance Mentorship program.  Twelve mentee sites and six mentor sites. Selected mentee sites will receive funding in the amount of up to $20,000 each, and selected mentor sites will receive up to $25,000. Wastewater surveillance has emerged as a valuable and noninvasive method for disease surveillance, particularly for detecting community-level infections like COVID-19. The method utilizes municipal wastewater as a pooled sample, providing early warnings about infections, sometimes up to 3 to 4 days before individual testing can detect cases. This approach aids in resource allocation, individual testing, and informed decision-making to curb the virus's spread. Beyond COVID-19, jurisdictions are expanding wastewater surveillance to include other pathogens like Influenza A and B, RSV, emphasizing the need for effective local programs.