SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – Springfield Environmental Services could get $25 thousand for helping the state test wastewater for COVID-19. That testing can tell public health experts if the virus is in a particular community, sometimes a week before the first case is confirmed. Wastewater testing is how the Omicron variant was first detected in Greene County in December 2021.
Ron Petering, Assistant Director of Springfield Environmental Services, says it has been providing wastewater samples to the state since August 2020. Every time they provide samples, it costs money.
We have to send someone out physically, especially to the university locations, to collect that, explains Petering. Cost is a couple of hours per location each week.
Petering explains the department didnt expect to be reimbursed when it volunteered for the program. But, the state has made federal grant funds available that will reimburse $100 per sample, up to a maximum of $36 thousand. Petering says Environmental Services would receive $25 thousand, which would be put into the departments general budget fund. Accepting the funding has to be approved by the Springfield City Council. A vote is expected at tonights city council meeting.
Attached to the funding is a contract that states the city will continue to provide wastewater samples through June 27th, 2022.
We are uncertain yet what our participation will be beyond that, says Petering. It may well be that if COVID caseload continues to drop in the community and the end of June comes, that that will be the end of it. But I think our participation beyond that day will be assessed closer to that date.
If the city council gives it the final approval, the department will send two separate reimbursement requests. The first would be sent to the state as soon as the city approves the contract, and the second at the end of the contract in June.
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