Information from IWA 
Information resources on water and COVID-19


for the spanish workers: 
La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) indica que no hay evidencia (hasta la fecha)de que el virus COVID-19 se haya transmitido a través de sistemas de alcantarillado con
o sin tratamiento de aguas residuales. Además, la OMS dice que no hay evidencia de que
los trabajadores de tratamiento de aguas residuales contraigan el síndrome respiratorio
agudo severo (SRAS), que es causado por otro tipo de coronavirus que causó un gran
brote de enfermedad respiratoria aguda en 2003.3

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Translation by Deepl added by moderator:
The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that there is no evidence (to date) that the COVID-19 virus has been transmitted through sewage systems with
or without wastewater treatment. In addition, the WHO says there is no evidence
sewage treatment workers get respiratory syndrome
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which is caused by another type of coronavirus that
outbreak of acute respiratory disease in 2003.3

Dr. Francis de los Reyes III (Professor of Environmental Engineering NC State and Global WaSH Cluster Lead)  recently gave a talk on "The  Fate of SARS-CoV-2 in Water and Wastewater". A recording can be found  here .

He addresses the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering and talks about the potential risks of getting COVID-19 in water, bathrooms and toilets. He summarizes the latest peer-reviewed literature on the survival of SARS-CoV-2 in drinking water, natural waters, fecal material, sewage and through wastewater treatment processes. 

And here is a video message April 9, 2020 from an American physician who is concerned about toilets, particulary those in hospitals and in public areas that may be increasing the risk of transmission of COVID-19.

Dr. D.A. Johnson, Professor of Medicine, Chief of Gastroenterology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia.

www.medscape.com/viewarticle/928234

Regards

Here is a message in the The Lancet regarding COVID-19: mitigating transmission via wastewater plumbing systems.
from March 23, 2020.
 
www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/articl...(20)30112-1/fulltext

The letter cites the super-spreading instance in Hong Kong during the 2013 SARS outbreak whereby the corona virus was spread through plumbing systems within a high-rise apartment building through U-traps that were void of water. WHO report: apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665...quence=1&isAllowed=y

My own experience is that floor drains, in particular, which contain relatively small volumes of water in the trap, will dry up when not used. This is particularly the case when installed in heated floors, where especially the small volume drains dry up overnight. To prevent sewer gas odors we covered these drains with rubber covers. In particular this design was prone to drying quickly:



Apartments that are purchased on speculation and left empty for long periods (months/years) are therefore a source of risk where even toilet U-traps dry up. 

Regards

Dear  Heiner

Thank you so much for your kind response, Please accept my apology I was so busy sending appreciation. Corona Vis 2019 is very strange mysterious, confusing event it will change the world. Certainly, the world will consider risks, uncertainties  concepts more forever...

with best regards.
Mohammad
www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/31/ho...e-coronavirus-crisis?

Thank you so much, Heiner!

and if you got plenty of time to read......

files.springernature.com/getResource/Dro...IpfG%2BVUu3BbgLofjad

Good morning Susannah,

these are the links to the article.  I think you or your nephew have to contact the people directly since this is not enough to call it "evidence based".
And I am a little afraid lots of scientists want to publish very quick and are looking for short cuts....

Cheers,

Heiner


www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/mensch/coron...48-9ff5-1a440bda1281

www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2196-x

Heiner - could you post the references for the articles in Spiegel and Nature?
My nephew is a sanitation worker in Spain and is desperate to understand and assess any risks.
Thank you,
Susannah

Dear Mohammed,

this is what I found in the german magazine "Der Spiegel" today:

One thing is clear: the pathogen can be detected in stool samples and later in the wastewater - but contrary to initial fears, nobody has to be afraid to become infected in this way. A team led by virologist Christian Drosten from the Charité Berlin has just clarified this in an article in the journal "Nature". A comparatively large amount of virus genome is found in human excretions. In this condition, however, the material is no longer infectious. According to the German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste, there is also no increased risk for employees in wastewater treatment plants.

Just one result but perhaps helpful.

Have a nice day and stay healthy 

Heiner

Dear Elisabeth

Is there possible for the SuSanA forum to clarify COVID-19 transmission risks in drinking water and wastewater?

with best regards'

Mohammed

Hi,

I would like know about any confirmed information ABOUT the covid-2019 WATERBORNE DISEASE  risk?  Is there any hygiene published about the transmission  of COVID-2019 in the water? and How long it does survive in water?

Thank you

Mohammad