MAYFIELD — A joint project testing wastewater at Mayfield’s treatment facility could highlight future COVID-19 spikes in the community before symptoms can even develop in local residents.

The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and University of Louisville Co-Immunity Project have partnered with the Graves County Health Department, Mayfield Electric and Water Systems, and Murray State University to provide an early warning system to help health officials prepare for potential coronavirus outbreaks in the community.

“(It) gives health officials and policymakers the information they need to focus additional testing and treatment where there are specific outbreaks, thus helping avoid the need for more countywide or statewide shutdowns,” Ben Chandler, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, said in a news release. “Wastewater testing can help more of us get back to normal more quickly by identifying where outbreaks are most prevalent over time.”