MSU Center for Water Sciences
International Collaboratory for Sewage: IC Sewage
Welcome to the IC Sewage Website! The International Collaboratory for Sewage (IC Sewage) is currently under development. IC Sewage will be a global partnership for assessing sewage contamination of water. Please explore the site to learn more about IC Sewage by clicking on a link below or scrolling through the page.
Health-Related Microbiology Specialty Group Initiative
The Challenges
World population has increased three-fold in the 20th century whereas water withdrawal has increased seven- fold. Besides the water scarcity problem, by all accounts the water on our planet has been severely polluted beyond the capacity of natural systems to cleanse themselves.
Worldwide, there are 884 million people without access to improved water sources and 2.5 billion people without access to improved sanitation.
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Sewage remains a primary source of contaminants in water, including nutrients and emerging pollutants such as pharmaceuticals and waterborne disease-causing bacteria, viruses and parasites.
The current measure of water safety (E. coli) used throughout the world does not provide the resolution needed for hazard and source characterization. Information on the amount of sewage impacting waters will assist in decisions necessary for public health and safety, implementation of WHO Water Safety Plans, investment in wastewater infrastructure and strategies for water/wastewater treatment.
A Health-Related Water Microbiology Specialty Group Initiative
Given these challenges and needs for both the developed and developing regions of the world: an International Collaboratory for Sewage initiative (IC-Sewage) is under development as a part of the International Water Association’s Health-Related Water Microbiology Specialty Group for the study of the fecal microbiota in waters of the world for improving public health and facilitation of the sanitation movement.
The overall mission of the IC Sewage will be to advance our understanding of the impact of wastewater on water quality and health throughout the world and to set the stage to meet and document improved sanitation, sewerage, and wastewater treatment for the global community.
About IC-Sewage Labs
The IC Sewage initiative is currently hosted by the Michigan State University Center for Water Sciences and so far we have 41 laboratories throughout the world with 70 members
IC Sewage membership is open to any individual or group who is interested in microbial pollution monitoring in their local areas. Members may join and cooperate at different levels according to their laboratory facilities and interest.
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Level I:*Core labs:* These are laboratories that are currently using qPCR and have the capabilities and partial financial support to evaluate protocols and water samples.
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Level II: These are laboratories interested in technology transfer and learning the qPCR methods, have access to qPCR machines and may be interested in collecting samples.
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Level III: These are laboratories that are interested in technology transfer but do not currently have access to qPCR machines.
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Level IV: These are Water utilities, private industries, public agencies, scientists and/or government groups that are interested in the technology and in collecting water samples for testing by the core laboratories.
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Level V: These are Water utilities, private industries, public agencies or government groups that are interested in the technology.
The current member labs are from Japan, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Israel, South Africa, Tanzania, Malawi, Swaziland, Botswana, Zambia, Austria, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, UK, Italy, Greece, Norway, Canada, USA, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand. Locations of the labs are shown on the below map.
IC Sewage Goals
The primary goals of this initiative will be to:
Develop and implement a diagnostic for sewage pollution to address public health risk
Produce a technology transfer program for water utilities and health departments all over the world and
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Develop of a global map of pollution.
The global map will include geographical, physicochemical data as well as pollution indicator bacteria data to visualize the quantitative information regarding the sewage levels found in the various waters
Getting Started
IC-Sewage is currently in the process of initiating several projects:
Documentation and assessment of microbial source tracking protocols.
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Identification of Pilot studies for mapping indicator bacteria and sewage marker data.
Canada-US pilot project
In the Great Lakes Region, forty-three Areas of Concern have been identified by the USEPA and Canada Environment: 26 are located entirely within the United States; 12 are located within Canada; and five are shared by both countries. Water quality impairments to any one of 14 beneficial uses include restrictions on recreational activities, fish and wildlife consumption, dredging activities, or drinking water consumption.
Human health is profoundly affected by water quality in the Great Lakes. The lack of integrated scientific investigation on waterborne microbial pathogens at multiple scales has prevented a sound scientific risk-based approach for prioritizing the key pollution sources and moving toward restoration goals.
Mapping of E.coli in the waters of Michigan has already been undertaken, and current plans for sampling and mapping sewage markers in Michigan waters and Areas of Concern is starting.
More Information on IC-Sewage
To become a member or to find out more about this initiative, please fill out this form (Word document) and follow the instructions for submission. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Asli Aslan-Yilmaz.
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