Bergen Wastewater Tests Signal Decrease In Community COVID Spread

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — In yet another welcome sign of progression in Bergen County, the ongoing wastewater testing program indicates a "steady decrease" in community COVID-19 spread since April.

According to a May 25 report from project partner, AECOM, "concentrations in the composite samples have shown a downward trend in SARS-CoV-2."

The report went on to specify that during the most recent collection period — May 15 to May 21 — all municipalities serviced by the Bergen County Utilities Authority were reporting less than 500 copies/ml, with the exception of five outliers that either maintained the same level of magnitude or had a slight uptick.

Data from the collection period is consistent with case numbers reported over the last few months as well, county officials said.

The month of May saw 1,116 total positive COVID-19 cases in Bergen County, down significantly from the 7,210 recorded in March. As of May 25, the most recent positivity score for New Jersey’s northeast region, which includes Bergen, Essex, and Hudson Counties was 1.99. That is down from 10.81 in late March.

Officials believe that the county's vaccination efforts have also contributed to this decline.

"We have come a long way in our fight against COVID-19 and I believe we are finally approaching the light at the end of the tunnel," said Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco.

"We continue to follow the science to measure the impact of our collective public health efforts and these most recent results show that they are indeed paying off. However, we still have more work to do to get to herd immunity and I strongly urge all Bergen County residents to do their civic and social duty by getting the vaccine."

Wastewater Testing Program

The county started the wastewater testing program last year through a partnership with Columbia University and engineering firm AECOM to monitor COVID-19 RNA in wastewater at the Bergen County Utilities Authority wastewater system.

It was created with funding from a National Science Foundation Grant and CARES Act dollars, county officials said.

The data "has proven a useful indicator for spotting upticks in community spread of COVID-19."

"By testing the wastewater entering the Bergen County Utilities Authority's (BCUA's) wastewater system for COVID-19, public health experts and local officials have a snapshot of the presence of the virus in the community," said Robert Laux, executive director of the Bergen County Utilities Authority.

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