2026 Wastewater Disease Surveillance Summit

Agenda

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Wastewater monitoring (WWM) is a cost-effective, non-invasive, and comprehensive approach to disease monitoring, offering valuable insights into community-level health trends. The Wastewater Disease Surveillance Summit will feature two days of presentations, panel discussions, and breakout sessions centered around the advancement of wastewater monitoring (WWM) practice. Attendees will enhance their knowledge of WWM, learn about cutting-edge research and best practices, access tools and resources, and connect with professionals from across the field. Local and state public health officials, academia, laboratories, and wastewater utilities will have the opportunity to convene and benefit from this event.

Summit Objectives

Enhance Knowledge of WWM: Gain a comprehensive understanding of wastewater monitoring and its applications in public health.
Access Tools and Best Practices: Discover practical tools, resources, and strategies for implementing or expanding WWM at the local level.
Build Professional Connections: Connect with subject-matter experts and peers to share insights and foster collaboration within the WWM community.

Agenda

Day 1: Monday, July 13th
8:30 – 9:00 a.m.	Registration & Networking
9:00 – 9:30 a.m.	Welcome & Opening Keynote: From Wastewater to Public Health Action: State of the Science Speaker: Jonathan Yoder, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
9:30 – 10:45 a.m.	Panel 1: From Data to Decision-making: Practical Use Cases for Public Health Action Moderator: Chelsea Gridley-Smith, NACCHO Panelists: Kelley Plymesser, New Mexico Department of Health Dagmara Antkiewicz, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene
10:45 – 11:00 a.m.	Break
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.	Panel 2: Designing Sustainable Wastewater Monitoring Programs Moderator: Nancy Johnson, Kentucky Department for Public Health Panelists: Christopher Benton, New Hampshire Public Health Laboratory Zuzana Bohrer, Ohio Department of Health Justin Hart, Boston Public Health Commission
12:30 – 2:00 p.m.	Lunch *On your own. See list of nearby lunch options on event website.
2:00 – 3:30 p.m.	Breakout Networking Discussions
3:30 – 3:40 p.m.	Break
3:40 – 4:55 p.m.	Panel 3: Communicating Wastewater Monitoring Findings Moderator: Daniel Mason, Kentucky Department for Public Health Panelists: Nathan LaCross, Utah Department of Health and Human Services Sarah Koenigsberg, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Shaz Damani, New York State Department of Health
4:55 – 5:00 p.m.	Conclusion & Adjourning
5:30 – 6:30 p.m.	Informal Networking Reception

Day 2: Tuesday, July 14th
8:30 – 9:00 a.m.	Networking
9:00 – 9:30 a.m.	Keynote Session: Local Utility Perspectives in Wastewater Monitoring Speaker: Zonetta English, Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District
9:30 – 10:45 a.m.	Panel 4: Methods, Data Comparability, & Interpretation Moderator: Tara Jones-Roe, Ceres Nanoscience Speakers: Martin Shafer, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene Megan Bias, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Kirsten Weisbeck, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (virtual)
10:45 – 11:00 a.m.	Break
11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.	Panel 5: Genomics, Sequencing, & Advanced Analytics Moderator: Mariana Matus, Biobot Analytics Speakers: Anthony Maresso, Baylor College of Medicine/TEPHI TexWeb Alessandro Zulli, SecureBio Kelly Oakeson, Utah Public Health Laboratory
12:15 – 1:00 p.m.	Interactive Session: Future Considerations for Wastewater Monitoring Moderator: Rachel West, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Panelists: Drew Francis, Arizona Department of Health Services Kata Chillag, Davidson College (virtual) Hannah Healy, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
1:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.	Closing Remarks & Next Steps Speaker: Jennifer Li, NACCHO

Thank You to the 2026 Wastewater Disease Surveillance Summit Sponsors:

Wastewater Disease Surveillance Summit AGENDA