In response to the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, Arcadis is seeking additional pilot participants for a new program designed to help organizations detect and control the spread of COVID-19 at their facilities. With many outbreaks originating in essential workplaces and stay-at-home orders expiring across much of the nation, governing bodies and employers are grappling with how to safely return to work. Testing this new capability could prove to be a faster and more effective method for protecting employee health.
“Tackling and preventing COVID-19 spread is the first priority of safety-driven organizations across the country. With limited testing and resources available to private and public organizations, we are proud to work with our clients on an alternative solution to keep their people safe,” says Kathleen Abbott, president of Arcadis’ U.S. environment business line.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is spread by symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers. The virus is shed in oral and nasal secretions, as well as in fecal matter. Taking temperatures and monitoring for symptoms identifies some symptomatic carriers, at which point they may have already spread the virus to coworkers. To get ahead of potential outbreaks, Arcadis will work with participating organizations to test for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater.
Using existing knowledge of wastewater collection, sampling and testing techniques as well as system design and monitoring capabilities, Arcadis will work with pilot participants to identify the appropriate locations for testing wastewater within their campuses or wastewater collection systems. Equipped with test results, Arcadis will then work with participants to identify and monitor potential hot spots by methodically adjusting sampling locations and frequency.
In addition to protecting employee health, testing wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 is an anonymous process that starts at an agreed-upon location in a facility’s collection system. As such, organizations avoid some of the privacy concerns raised by certain personnel testing and monitoring policies.
The pilot project came about as part of Arcadis’ QuickLaunch program, which invites employees to submit innovative ideas at any time and then fast-tracks the best ideas. Arcadis allotted $25,000 for the project team to explore implementation at participating client locations.
Candidates for the pilot study include automotive, food and beverage, chemical and medical device manufacturers, as well as other industrial companies and municipal organizations with large campuses. Organizations interested in taking part in this pilot study should contact Darcy Sachs at [email protected].
For more information, visit: www.arcadis.com
