Re:Sequencing wastewater may be key to getting a grip on the...
by worstspotgain on Friday October 04, 2024 @01:47AM
(#41738224)
SF has a combined sewer system, but it has zero farms. One question is whether it was more likely to be a signal from wild birds (into the runoff system) than humans (into the sewer.)
There's very little rain in the summer months, the average for July rounds off to 0.0in. I don't remember if there was any significant rain in May or June, but I'd be surprised if it was more than 1-5% of the total. I guess there's lawn irrigation, though.
Re:Sequencing wastewater may be key to getting a grip on the...
by dredmorbius on Friday October 04, 2024 @03:17AM
(#41738693)
SF has pretty limited lawn irrigation as well. Depending on how the sewerage system is divided, some parts of the city have effectively none.
Re:Sequencing wastewater may be key to getting a grip on the...
by worstspotgain on Friday October 04, 2024 @03:41AM
(#41738835)
There are three sewersheds [1] but we don't know which one the signal was detected in (or do we?) If it was the Northpoint one (~ NE quadrant) there aren't as many lawns there. There are a few small parks, street cleaning and whatnot.
[1] https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Cal...
That said, in cities that have combined storm and sewer system, the latter is a lot more difficult.
But in general, it is a uniquely politically-palatable continuous monitoring solution.
The public doesn't want to think about what happens underneath a toilet or drain, so no one cares if someone is sampling and testing it.