The City of Ann Arbor said that Wastewater Treatment Plant staff discovered the wastewater had gone into the river via an outfall during a system shutdown around 1:30 p.m.

The city of Ann Arbor has announced a new brand for its three water services departments.

Early results from a Michigan project to monitor the levels of COVID-19 in wastewater show promising results. “These initial results show promise for the field of COVID-19 wastewater monitoring in Michigan,” said Sarah Lyon-Callo, director of the Bureau of Epidemiology and Population Health at MDHHS. “This project has demonstrated the feasibility of this laboratory method and local partnerships for a longer-term wastewater surveillance system. Nineteen laboratories across the state of Michigan are participating in a standardized and coordinated network of COVID-19 wastewater monitoring systems. View the EGLE COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance map here.

The researchers found that recycling and diverting urine led to significant reductions in energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater consumptions and instances of fueling algal blooms in bodies of water. Recently, studies have been focusing on urine recycling as a way to produce renewable fertilizers while decreasing the amount of chemicals and energy needed for wastewater treatment. While no urine recycling and diversion systems exist on a city scale, several projects are underway -- including one at U-M -- that demonstrate small-scale impact. Hilton also studied wastewater treatment using data from treatment plants in Michigan, Vermont and Virginia. The one downside to processing urine into fertilizer was that one method led to an increase in acidification.

DETROIT – Researchers are still seeking ways to screen for coronavirus (COVID-19). The testing of wastewater for evidence of COVID-19 is showing promise. READ: CDC says new guidance on airborne coronavirus transmission was ‘posted in error’The main way epidemiologists have followed the growth of the pandemic is through testing individuals. Wastewater testing will detect a problem much sooner. Yale University researchers have found wastewater can effectively be used to give an early warning of an increase in COVID-19.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Local 4 followed scientists into the sewers at Michigan State University as they searched for early warning signs of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in wastewater. What started as an intriguing laboratory finding about analyzing wastewater to detect the virus that causes COVID-19 has not turned into something more. Experts are hoping the testing might bring early warning and indicate the scale of an outbreak in a given community. Can we detect infections early?” Rose said. Rose said the state is looking to set up 13 labs across Michigan to do similar testing.

ANN ARBOR Early Tuesday morning at approximately 5:30 a.m., staff at the City of Ann Arbor Wastewater Treatment Plant discovered an overflow of partially treated wastewater. According to city officials, the water was treated with settling and chlorine disinfection before it flowed directly into the Huron River. Over five-hours, an estimated 600 to 1,500 gallons of partially treated wastewater discharged into the Huron River. During this time, the flow into the Huron River was an estimated 437,580,000 gallons. According to protocol, city of Ann Arbor staff notified the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and the Washtenaw County Health Department of the incident.