The purpose of this program is to detect and track the presence of various regulated and unregulated substances or organisms in wastewater samples collected from wastewater treatment plants in Canada. The data generated by the survey will allow for the early detection of these regulated and unregulated substances or organisms that are of public health concern within a community (e.g. drugs, infectious diseases). The data will also allow for the assessment of trends over time and in relation to various population health characteristics.
At present, there are two components to the survey: a drug component and a SARS-CoV-2 component.
Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes. In addition, information from partially completed or unsaved questionnaires may be retained and used.
Collection period:
SARS-CoV-2: April 1, 2021 - present
Collection methods:
Survey participation:
Voluntary
Confidentiality
Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.
By law, Statistics Canada is prohibited from releasing any information it collects that could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent, or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada will use the information from this survey for statistical purposes only.
The SARS-CoV-2 component of the survey is also being collected under the authority of the Department of Health Act and the Public Health Agency of Canada Act.
Data sharing agreements and record linkage
Data sharing agreements
To reduce respondent burden and avoid duplicating surveys, Statistics Canada has entered into a data sharing agreement with the Public Health Agency of Canada for the SARS-CoV-2 component of the survey. By participating in the SARS-CoV-2 component, you are agreeing to share the wastewater samples and related information with Statistics Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, for use in accordance with their respective legislation and mandate, as set out above.
The Public Health Agency of Canada may make the data, including identifiable information, available to third parties such as other government departments or local health authorities.
Record linkage
To enhance the data from this survey and reduce response burden, Statistics Canada may combine the information you provide with data from other surveys or administrative sources.
For the SARS-CoV-2 component of the survey, Public Health Agency of Canada may combine the information you provide with other surveys or administrative data sources.
Topics covered in the survey
The survey asks questions about
- drugs
- SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Published data
To see results from the Canadian Wastewater Survey (CWS), please click on the following link:
- Stimulants in the wastewater of Canadian cities: provisional results, January 2022 to May 2023
- Wastewater analysis suggests that consumption of fentanyl, cannabis and methamphetamine increased in the early pandemic period
- Measuring the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) through wastewater analysis
- Canadian Wastewater Survey, December 2021 to January 2022
- Wastewater analysis suggests that use of particular opioid pain medications decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020
- Wastewater surveillance continues to show persistent levels of SARS-CoV-2 as society reopens, February to December 2022
Survey-specific questions
- What is the Canadian Wastewater Survey?
- Who is surveyed?
- When will the results be available?
- Where can I get more information about the survey?
What is the Canadian Wastewater Survey?
The Canadian Wastewater Survey monitors and estimates levels of various regulated and unregulated substances in wastewater (conducted in collaboration with Health Canada) and detects and monitors the levels of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater (in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada). These serve as important indicators of drug or SARS-CoV-2 virus burden, and are used by all levels of government in establishing informed policies and epidemiological models in the health domain.
The survey results will be used by stakeholders to develop new methods to measure SARS-CoV-2, to track variants of concern (VoCs), and to build epidemiological models. Municipal public health authorities may also use the SARS-CoV-2 data to track the pandemic and inform public health decision making. Within Statistics Canada, the data will be used to validate self-response survey data, and included in reports such as Analysis in Brief or Stats in brief.
Who is surveyed?
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in seven municipalities (representing 17 WWTPs) across Canada for the regulated and unregulated substances component, and in five municipalities (representing 15 WWTPs) across Canada for the SARS-CoV-2 component.
When will the results be available?
Results from March 2019 – December 2020 have been published for the regulated and unregulated substance component. Results from April 2021 – December 2022 have been published for the SARS-CoV-2 component. An availability notice will be published in The Daily, Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin.
Consult Published data for more data and analysis from this survey.
Where can I get more information about the survey?
If you need more information or require assistance in the completion of the questionnaire, call our toll-free telephone line at 1-877-949-9492.