Wastewater-based epidemiological surveillance offers a unique, data-driven perspective on population health by transforming environmental samples into public health insights. In Belgium, Sciensano coordinates the national wastewater surveillance system that collects and analyses wastewater data from treatment plants across the country. These data provide a near real-time, population-level signal of health-related phenomena, ranging from infectious diseases to the consumption of substances such as illicit drugs, without relying on individual clinical reporting.
The strength of this surveillance system lies in the robustness and timeliness of its data. Wastewater monitoring can provide results within days of sampling, covers large segments of the population allowing an equitable coverage, and captures both symptomatic and asymptomatic people. It is also privacy-friendly and non-invasive, independent of healthcare-seeking behaviour and testing strategies, making it a complementary and cost-effective data source for public health monitoring.
The data are shared openly via the federal geoportal. Building on these high-quality data foundations, Sciensano has developed interactive tools such as the wastewater dashboards, one for respiratory viruses (Wastewater surveillance Respiratory viruses Sciensano Belgium ) and one for psychoactive substances, (Wastewater surveillance Psychoactive substances Sciensano Belgium ). These dashboards translate datasets into accessible visualisations, allowing users to explore geographic patterns, temporal trends, and differences between substances or diseases. By making data openly available and interpretable, the dashboard and the geoportal supports researchers, policymakers, and public health professionals in identifying trends, assessing risks, and informing targeted interventions.
The wastewater surveillance initiative demonstrates how investing in high-quality data infrastructure enables innovative monitoring approaches and strengthens public health intelligence in an evolving landscape.