Wastewater monitoring has expanded since 2020, providing data for several infectious diseases. In a survey of public support, most U.S. adult residents (74.6%) strongly or somewhat support wastewater monitoring, and nearly all (95.3%) stated they would take steps to protect themselves if wastewater monitoring data indicated disease transmission in their area, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Protective health behaviors most likely to be considered included more frequent handwashing (76.1%), avoiding large gatherings (61.1%), and avoiding visiting persons at higher risk for infection-related complications (59.1%). 

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC established the National Wastewater Surveillance System and later expanded it to include mpox and influenza A data dashboards. Making infectious disease wastewater data readily available helps keep the public informed and can facilitate early adoption of protective health behaviors, the CDC said. 

The CDC’s survey found support for wastewater monitoring was similar among persons of different races and ethnicities, but differed significantly by age, education, and marital status. However, respondents strongly or somewhat agreed (57.8%) that they wanted access to rapid wastewater data, even if information to determine public health risk or specific protective actions is insufficient. Those most supportive of rapid access to wastewater data included men, persons who were employed, and residents of urban or suburban communities.

At the Sept. 13 White House Summit on Extreme Heat, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) Doug Parker joined representatives from across the federal government to share how the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is taking action.

He shared updates on OSHA’s proposed rule to protect indoor and outdoor workers from heat hazards, noting that while heat can impact all workers, it disproportionately affects workers of color. 

This year, the U.S. experienced its fourth-hottest summer on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Globally, August 2024 was the warmest August in NOAA’s 175-year record.

In turn, at the summit, National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi announced a new Extreme Heat Call to Action, which calls upon state and local governments along with the private sector and nonprofit organizations to lead by example and use all of the tools at their disposal to protect people from extreme heat looking ahead to 2025.

The Call to Action invites interested organizations to submit a commitment to take action in advance of the 2025 heat season, including a wide range of approaches and tools which could be used to protect people and resources from extreme heat, such as actions highlighted in the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit and the National Heat Strategy. The White House will collect submissions for the Call to Action through Nov. 1.