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UMaine expands wastewater COVID testing sites
BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - he University of Maine System has expanded its COVID-19 wastewater monitoring program for this semester.
The UMaine System is adding UMaine Presque Isle and the town of Farmington to its sample collection sites this semester. UMaine, UMFK, USM-Gorham, and the town of Orono were analyzed once weekly during the fall semester.
Wastewater samples are tested for the presence of the virus that causes COVID-19. Increasing sampling and testing frequency will more closely track the presence of the virus on campuses and in surrounding communities.
“This gives us a very good sense of any time we may be sort of seeing a surge in the numbers, and how we can sync those then with our testing numbers and other mitigation,” said University of Maine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. “It, of course, is part of our bigger suite of activities that include our testing, distancing and masking, handwashing. All of these factors together that help us get the best sense of what we need to do, what changes we might need to make in anything on our campuses.