{"id":6160,"date":"2024-09-10T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-10T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stillcoviding.ca\/en\/?p=6160"},"modified":"2025-05-01T05:16:02","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T09:16:02","slug":"ontario-cities-wastewater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stillcoviding.ca\/en\/take-action\/ontario-cities-wastewater\/","title":{"rendered":"Ontario: Contact councillors — save Ontario\u2019s wastewater monitoring!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\ud83d\udce3 Let municipal councillors know you want funding for wastewater monitoring to continue<\/h2>\n

\u2709\ufe0f<\/span> Send letters to municipal councillors<\/a> to voice your support for wastewater monitoring. Use our online tool to send emails.<\/p>\n

Contact councillors in Ottawa<\/a>
\nContact councillors in London<\/a>
\nContact councillors in Waterloo Region<\/a><\/p>\n

Why take action?<\/span> Wastewater monitoring is an essential public health tool that provides insights into the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses in Ontario\u2019s communities. We need an early warning system to inform everyone about the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 subvariants, influenza, avian flu, RSV, mpox, and other viruses.<\/p>\n

Effective July 31, the Ontario government has shut down the province\u2019s extensive wastewater monitoring network. The network\u2019s 58+ stations provided coverage for 34 public health units. Wastewater monitoring continues in Ottawa and London, with temporary funding. The cities should follow the example of Peterborough — it is providing funding for the near real-time monitoring that our communities need.<\/p>\n\n

Meanwhile, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has four stations in one city (Toronto)<\/a>. The federal government did not take over Ontario\u2019s program. It is also important to note that PHAC does not provide daily wastewater data<\/span>. There are significant lags in the reporting of the data (as long as a month!)<\/a>. People with disabilities, the immunocompromised, and other equity-denied groups rely on daily wastewater data to time risky activities such as medical appointments.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Please take a moment to voice your support for wastewater monitoring in Ontario!<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Make sure your email application is active (e.g. Mail or Thunderbird).<\/li>\n
  2. Click a button in a contact list below. It will create a message using the message template.<\/li>\n
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  5. Repeat — click the button for the next person in the list. It\u2019s easy to go through the list.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Note: For best results, use an iPhone or another smartphone. If a message isn\u2019t created when you click or tap a button, you can try using a different device. This won\u2019t work with Internet Explorer; use Firefox, Safari or Chrome instead. Issues with Microsoft Outlook have been reported.<\/p>\n\n

    \ud83d\udce3 More ways to take action<\/h2>\n

    \u2709\ufe0f<\/span> Use our online tool to send letters to MPPs<\/abbr><\/a>. Sign the petitions and call MPPs<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Contact councillors in Ottawa<\/h2>\n

    To:<\/h3>\n\n
    List of contacts — Ottawa<\/summary>\n
    \n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>\n

    Cc:<\/h3>\n

      \n
    • Vera Etches, Ottawa Public Health, Vera.Etches@ottawa.ca<\/b><\/li>\n
    • Councillor Catherine Kitts, Chair, Board of Health, Catherine.Kitts@ottawa.ca<\/b><\/li>\n
    • Joel Harden, MPP Ottawa Centre, jharden-co@ndp.on.ca<\/b><\/li><\/ul><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n

      Subject: Save Ottawa\u2019s daily wastewater surveillance!<\/h2>\n

      Message template:<\/h2>\n
      \n

      I am deeply concerned about the loss of funding for Ontario\u2019s Wastewater Surveillance Initiative. Please commit to funding Ottawa\u2019s daily wastewater tool, with no gap after the expiry of the temporary funding. Ottawa\u2019s residents and hospitals need continued access to timely data, with 7-day sampling and 5-day reporting.<\/p>

      As noted by delegates during the Ottawa Board of Health meeting on June 17, 2024, the daily wastewater monitoring program is an essential public health tool that merits continued funding. The estimated cost is only $370,000 annually. The popular public-facing health data tool is the leading metric for the assessment of viral infections. Ottawa\u2019s wastewater surveillance program is a vital early warning system for SARS-CoV-2, influenza and RSV, as well as emerging health threats such as mpox and avian flu.<\/p>

      CHEO uses daily wastewater data to time public health interventions that keep vulnerable kids out of emergency rooms. Preventing infections results in substantial savings of hospital resources, and reduced demand for contact tracing. In Ontario, daily wastewater surveillance has enabled the optimization of public health interventions for RSV, preventing 295 children from being hospitalized and 950 medically attended hospital visits, saving the province $3.5 million.[1]<\/p>

      Some have claimed that the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) could replace Ottawa\u2019s daily monitoring, if it were to set up a wastewater surveillance site in Ottawa. However, the reality is that there are significant lags in the reporting of PHAC\u2019s data. PHAC\u2019s tool is designed for the analysis of historical trends \u2013 not daily risk assessments. One-month-old data would be inadequate for the risk assessment needs of Ottawa\u2019s residents and hospitals. People with disabilities, the immunocompromised, and other equity-denied groups rely on daily wastewater data to time more risky activities such as medical and dental appointments, in facilities where universal masking has been dropped. It is also important to note that the scope of PHAC\u2019s monitoring is limited \u2013 it does not track all the viruses monitored by the local research team. After adding new sites, PHAC\u2019s network will cover only five cities in Ontario, compared to the Ontario Wastewater Initiative\u2019s network of 58+ stations in 34 public health units.<\/p>

      I understand that the Ottawa Board of Health passed a motion on June 17, 2024, supporting efforts to secure funding from PHAC for local researchers at the University of Ottawa. If funding to continue the existing daily wastewater surveillance is not available from PHAC, the City of Ottawa should show leadership by continuing the program that many Ottawans depend on. The cost of maintaining the program is insignificant compared to the substantial savings associated with preventing infections and hospitalizations. Please follow the example of Peterborough. The Peterborough Board of Health has recognized the value of near real-time wastewater surveillance data for SARS-CoV-2, influenza, RSV, mpox and other viruses, and it has committed to funding the work of researchers at Trent University.[2]<\/p>

      Given that PHAC\u2019s data reporting is inadequate for our needs, please commit to funding Ottawa\u2019s daily wastewater monitoring, so that it can continue with its current team of experienced researchers. Please act now to ensure that Ottawa\u2019s daily wastewater surveillance program continues without interruption. I look forward to your reply.<\/p>\n\n

      Notes:\n\n[1] Payne, Elizabeth. \u201c\u2018I was shocked\u2019: Ontario to cancel widely used wastewater surveillance program.\u201d Ottawa Citizen, June 4, 2024. https:\/\/ottawacitizen.com\/news\/local-news\/ontarios-groundbreaking-wastewater-testing-program-will-be-replaced-by-a-significantly-smaller-federal-program\n\n[2] Davis, Greg. \u201cPeterborough health unit offers to cover wastewater surveillance costs after Ontario ends program.\u201d Global News, June 14, 2024. https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/10566687\/peterborough-health-unit-wastewater-surveillance-costs-ontario-ends-program\/<\/p>\n<\/div>

      Sincerely,<\/p>\n

      [Your name and email address]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

      \n

      Contact councillors in London<\/h2>\n

      To:<\/h3>\n\n
      List of contacts — London<\/summary>\n

    Contact list<\/caption>\n
    \n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>\n

    Cc:<\/h3>\n

      \n
    • Mayor Josh Morgan, mayor@london.ca<\/b><\/li>\n
    • Dr. Alexander Summers, Medical Officer of Health, Alexander.Summers@mlhu.on.ca<\/b><\/li>\n
    • Dr. Joanne Kearon, Associate Medical Officer of Health, Joanne.Kearon@mlhu.on.ca<\/b><\/li>\n
    • Peggy Sattler, MPP London West, PSattler-QP@ndp.on.ca<\/b><\/li><\/ul>\n<\/details>\n\n\n

      Subject: Save London\u2019s wastewater monitoring!<\/h2>\n

      Message template:<\/h2>\n
      \n

      I am deeply concerned about the loss of funding for Ontario\u2019s Wastewater Surveillance Initiative. Please commit to funding London\u2019s wastewater monitoring, with no gap after the expiry of the temporary funding. Wastewater monitoring is an essential public health tool that provides insights into the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses in our communities.<\/p>

      I urge you to collaborate with local researchers at Western University, and provide permanent funding for wastewater monitoring in London. Please follow the example of Peterborough. The Peterborough Board of Health has recognized the value of near real-time wastewater surveillance data for SARS-CoV-2, influenza, avian flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), mpox and other viruses, and it has committed to funding the work of researchers at Trent University. \u201cThis is not just about COVID-19. This a pandemic preparedness tool,\u201d said Dr. Thomas Piggott, Peterborough\u2019s medical officer of health.[1]<\/p>

      The Ontario government has claimed that the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) will provide an expanded network to replace existing local monitoring. In reality, there are significant lags in the reporting of PHAC\u2019s data, and the scope of the monitoring is very limited. After adding new sites, PHAC\u2019s network will cover only five cities in Ontario, compared to the now-defunct Ontario Wastewater Initiative\u2019s network of 58+ stations in 34 public health units.<\/p>

      PHAC\u2019s network is designed for the analysis of historical trends \u2013 not daily risk assessments. Unlike London\u2019s existing wastewater monitoring program, it does not provide near real-time data. Data reporting could be delayed by as much as a month. People with disabilities, the immunocompromised, and other equity-denied groups rely on daily wastewater data to time more risky activities such as medical and dental appointments, in facilities where universal masking has been dropped.<\/p>

      It is also important to recognize that the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is not over. The virus is constantly evolving, and we need to maintain and expand our capacity to track waves of new subvariants of SARS-CoV-2. Unlike a common cold, SARS-CoV-2 can attack organs throughout the body. Contracting COVID-19 is associated with risks for developing long COVID, brain damage, strokes, heart failure, extreme fatigue, diabetes, an impaired immune system, and many other health issues.[2] With repeat infections, the risk of developing long COVID increases substantially.[3] An estimated 400 million people worldwide have had long COVID so far \u2014 leading to economic losses of $1 trillion USD annually.[4]<\/p>

      The City of London should show leadership by providing permanent funding for year-round, near real-time wastewater surveillance by London\u2019s wastewater scientists. The cost of maintaining the program is insignificant compared to the substantial savings associated with preventing infections and hospitalizations. In Ontario, daily wastewater surveillance of RSV can be used to optimize public health interventions for vulnerable children, preventing 249 hospitalizations and 950 medically attended hospital visits per year. This results in savings of $13.7\u201316.6\u2009million in healthcare costs over three\u2009years.[5]<\/p>

      Please act now to ensure that London\u2019s wastewater monitoring continues with stable, permanent funding for local researchers. Wastewater surveillance is an essential tool in the public health toolbox. Monitoring for SARS-CoV-2, influenza, avian flu, RSV, mpox and other viruses helps decision-makers and the general public make choices informed by science.<\/p>

      Notes:<\/p>

      [1] Davis G. Peterborough health unit offers to cover wastewater surveillance costs after Ontario ends program. Global News. June 14, 2024. https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/10566687\/peterborough-health-unit-wastewater-surveillance-costs-ontario-ends-program\/. Published June 14, 2024.\n\n[2] Davis HE, McCorkell L, Vogel JM, Topol EJ. Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations [published correction appears in Nat Rev Microbiol. 2023 Jun;21(6):408. doi: 10.1038\/s41579-023-00896-0]. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2023;21(3):133-146. doi:10.1038\/s41579-022-00846-2\n\n[3] Kuang, Sianne, Steven Earl, Janine Clark, Dianne Zakaria, Alain Demers and Samina Aziz. 2023. \u201cExperiences of Canadians with long-term symptoms following COVID-19\u201d. Insights on Canadian Society. December. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 75-006-X. https:\/\/www150.statcan.gc.ca\/n1\/pub\/75-006-x\/2023001\/article\/00015-eng.htm\n\n[4] Al-Aly Z, Davis H, McCorkell L, et al. Long COVID science, research and policy. Nat Med. 2024;30(8):2148-2164. doi:10.1038\/s41591-024-03173-6\n\n[5] Thampi N, Mercier E, Paes B, Edwards JO, Rodgers-Gray B, Delatolla R. Perspective: the potential of wastewater-based surveillance as an economically feasible game changer in reducing the global burden of pediatric respiratory syncytial virus infection. Front Public Health. 2024;11:1316531. Published 2024 Jan 12. doi:10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1316531<\/p>

      Cc:<\/p>

      Mayor Josh Morgan; \nDr. Alexander Summers, Medical Officer of Health;\nDr. Joanne Kearon, Associate Medical Officer of Health;\nPeggy Sattler, MPP London West.<\/p>\n<\/div>

      Sincerely,<\/p>\n

      [Your name and email address]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/code>\n

      \n

      Contact councillors in Waterloo Region<\/h2>\n

      To:<\/h3>\n\n
      List of contacts — Waterloo Region<\/summary>\n

    Contact list<\/caption>\n
    \n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>\n

    Cc:<\/h3>\n

    Contact list<\/caption>\n