TexWEB (the Texas Wastewater Environmental Biomonitoring program) is a system that helps detect infectious disease outbreaks early by testing wastewater from all over Texas. TexWeb can find signs of viruses that are spreading in a community, potentially before they become a big problem for communities and health care systems. By detecting diseases early, TexWEB can help keep Texans healthy, and businesses and schools running smoothly.
TexWEB uses advanced technology to find thousands of viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing COVID-19) and its variants, RSV, influenza A and B (like H5N1), mPox, polio, enterovirus D68, norovirus, West Nile virus, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika. TexWEB collects data every week from ten Texas cities and is growing to include more locations across the state.
TexWEB is guided by representatives from the Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute (TEPHI), Baylor College of Medicine, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, and the El Paso Water Utility.
Read through the FAQs below to learn more. Still have questions, or interested in partnering with us? Email [email protected] to start the conversation
Wastewater is used water that comes from places people live and work after activities like flushing toilets, washing dishes, taking showers, and other everyday tasks. Wastewater typically flows through pipes to a wastewater treatment plant, where it is treated and cleaned.
Wastewater monitoring, also known as wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), checks wastewater to find chemicals and markers for viruses and bacteria. By looking for these markers and measuring their amount over time, we can learn important things about their levels and possible impact on a community's health. WBE can give early warnings about disease outbreaks, like COVID-19, flu, or stomach infections, by detecting these markers in wastewater before people see their doctor or visit a hospital. With advanced knowledge, we can prepare physician offices, hospitals, and public health systems for an increase in human cases which will lead to better health outcomes should an outbreak occur.
TexWEB screens for a variety of common viruses, such as influenza and measles, and can also detect new variants and novel viruses. Our program only screens for infectious diseases.
We get samples of wastewater from 10 cities across Texas and 23 sample sites, including Austin, Baytown, Brownsville, El Paso, Houston, Humble, Laredo, Lubbock, Missouri City, and Wichita Falls. New sites are being added to expand coverage over more of the state.
We take samples of wastewater on a weekly or biweekly basis at each site.
After we test the wastewater samples, scientists look at the data and compare it to past samples. They then generate a report that shows the levels of that virus overtime. The number of virus markers in the samples is often a good measure of the number of people in a community who may be sick from a virus, like the flu. We share this information with the local public health departments in the communities where we are testing.
Most programs that monitor wastewater only test for specific viruses like those that cause the flu or COVID-19. But TexWEB uses a new approach that looks at the markers of viruses to identify any known virus. This can help detect outbreaks of infectious diseases in a community early and provide important information for a response.
When our scientists find a new virus in samples that we haven't seen before, they retest the samples along with other steps to make sure the results are correct. Once they're sure, they share the information with the state and local health departments. It's up to those departments to decide how to respond.
TexWEB is a collaborative effort that includes members from TEPHI, Baylor College of Medicine, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Texas Department of State Health Services, El Paso Water, and many of the utility and public health department partners where testing takes place. TexWEB has working groups that help strengthen our network, enhance our scientific approach, improve how we communicate and share data, and ensure we remain accountable to the communities where we conduct testing. You can see an overview of these groups here.