Central Wastewater Treatment Plant Research Articles

A superstructure-based model for the evolution of park-wide water infrastructures

Industrial parks are crucial to improve material efficiency, economic growth, as well as environmental protection. The increasing demand of freshwater poses a significant challenge for the sustainable development for industrial parks. This work reviews the evolution process of park-wide water infrastructures. A superstructure-based model was used to address the trade-off between water reuse and its impact on the wastewater treatment for the evolutionary state of water infrastructures. In the evolution process of park-wide water infrastructures, five scenarios were defined based on the evolution process of water infrastructure. For wastewater treatment system, centralized or decentralized wastewater treatment plants were deployed according to the evolutionary process of park-wide water infrastructures. The relationship among freshwater consumption, wastewater treatment, and discharge quality were investigated by optimizing the configuration of park-wide water infrastructures. The results indicate that the cost of park-wide water infrastructure with centralized wastewater treatment plant is lower than that with a decentralized wastewater treatment plant. Improving the effluent standards for centralized wastewater treatment increases the total cost. For regeneration and reuse, improving the effluent standard for centralized wastewater treatment does not necessarily increase the total cost. The findings indicate that improvement in the discharge standard of centralized wastewater treatment depends on the specifications of the centralized wastewater treatment.

Treatment appraisal and fate of HMs in up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket and trickling filter-based sewage treatment process: The case of a kaliti Centralized Wastewater Treatment Plant, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Heavy metals (HMs) in wastewater could pose a significant challenge to biological treatment systems such as in an Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor (UASBr) as well as Trickling Filter (TF) performances. These HMs are associated with retention and accumulation of solid precipitates, limitting solid-liquid separation, disrupting biochemical processes, which ultimately brings environmental risks, such as soil contamination and public health issues, dominantly due to the inhibited activities of degrading microorganisms. A cross-sectional study was applied to investigate the levels of HMs in sewage using composite and grab sampling taken from Kaliti Wastewater Treatment Plant and the samples were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). The HMs concentrations in mean±(SD) were, Ag ranges from below detection level (BDL) to 63.5 (13.5) mg/kg; Ba 60 (4.47) μg/l to 1291(58.5) mg/kg; Al, BDL to 2358.5(662.5) mg/kg; Cd 0 μg/l to 0.35(0.15) mg/kg; Cr 0 μg/l to 10.5(0.7) mg/kg; Cu 0 μg/l to 23.9(1.2) mg/kg; Zn 5.45 (12.3) to 165(5.4) mg/kg, and Mn 165 (49.5) μg/l to 92.5(3.8) mg/kg. Results indicated that Kaliti Wastewater Treatment Plant was effective in removing pollutants and thereby meeting local and international discharge limits. The plant was also found to be effective in removing Al, Cd, Cu, and Cr, but not in removing Ba and Zn. However, a real time data collection and monitoring of seasonal physicochemical parameters and HM levels in the wastewater treatment plant is suggested useful.

Long-term longitudinal monitoring of SARS CoV-2 in urban rivers and sewers of Nepal

In regions without adequate centralized wastewater treatment plants, sample collection from rivers and sewers can be an alternative sampling strategy for wastewater surveillance. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of alternative sampling strategies by testing samples collected from rivers (n = 246) and sewers (n = 244) in the Kathmandu Valley between March 2021 and February 2022. All samples were concentrated using the skimmed-milk flocculation method and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA was quantified using the nucleocapsid (N) and envelope (E) genes qPCR assays. Of the total, 75 % (371/490) of the samples tested positive using at least one qPCR assay, with concentrations ranging from 3.0 to 8.3 log10 gene copies/L. No significant correlation between concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 from both sewers and river with the number of confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the Kathmandu valley was observed (p > 0.05). Despite the high concentration of SARS-CoV-2 in rivers and sewers, we hypothesize this finding to be a result of inaccurate number of clinical cases possibly due to inadequate clinical testing. This longitudinal study further supports the statement to consider sampling strategies from sewers and rivers for WBS in Nepal and other low and middle-income countries.

Microplastics in wastewater and sludge from centralized and decentralized wastewater treatment plants: Effects of treatment systems and microplastic characteristics

Domestic wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) play a vital role in limiting the release of microplastics (MP) into the environment. This study examined MP removal efficiency from five centralized and four decentralized domestic WWTPs in Bangkok, Thailand. MP concentrations in wastewater and sludge were comparable between centralized and decentralized WWTPs, despite these decentralized WWTPs serving smaller populations and having limited treatment capacity. The elimination of MPs ranged from 50 to 96.8% in centralized WWTPs and 14.2–53.6% in decentralized WWTPs. It is noted that the retained MPs concentrations in sludge ranged from 20,000 to 228,100 MP/kg dry weight. The prevalence of synthetic fibers and fragments could be attributed to their pathways from laundry or car tires, and the accidental release of a variety of plastic wastes ended up in investigated domestic WWTPs. Removal of MPs between the centralized and decentralized WWTPs was influenced by several impact factors including initial MP concentrations, longer retention times, MP fragmentation, and variations of MP concentrations in sludge leading to different activated sludge process configurations. Sewage sludge has become a primary location for the accumulation of incoming microplastics in WWTPs. The MPs entering and leaving each unit process were varied due to the unique characteristics of MPs, and their different treatment efficiencies. While the extended hydraulic retention period in decentralized WWTPs decreased the MP removal efficacy, the centralized WWTP with the two-stage activated sludge process achieved the highest MP removal efficiency.

Local residents' perception on factors affecting the willingness to pay for improved urban canal water: a case study in Can Tho city of Vietnam.

Urbanization and economic development cause water pollution in the inner-city canals and rivers globally. Bung Xang canal in Can Tho city of Vietnam is facing problems with water pollution due to the lack of centralized wastewater treatment plants and low public awareness on environmental protection. Perception of local residents was collected using structured questionnaires including both qualitative and quantitative information. Regression analysis was employed to evaluate the factors affecting the decision of respondents on the willingness to pay (WTP) to improve water quality in the Bung Xang canal. Knowledge about the environmental protection fee for domestic wastewater (10% of the VAT-excluded from the selling price of 1 m3 of tap water purchased), age of the respondents and their education levels affected the WTP positively, while respondents' perception on water quality affected the WTP negatively. There was 58.33% of the respondents showed the WTP for improved water quality in the canal. They agreed to pay a small fee of VND 10,000 to 15,000 (equivalent to USD 0.42-0.63)/month (1 US$= 23,700 VND). The result indicates that environmental education is the only way forward for a successful sustainable urban city.

Jilin city central wastewater treatment plant renovation design scheme

Jilin City is one of the top ten famous Chinese cities worth introducing to the world. To further improve the construction of urban infrastructure and meet the needs of the economic and social development of Jilin City, the Jilin City Government Joint Development and Reform Commission and the Ecological Environment Bureau decided to expand and renovate the former Jilin City wastewater treatment plant. This study designs a wastewater treatment plant by comprehensively considering the policy needs and the local basic background characteristics of Jilin to solve the wastewater overflow problem. The design modified the anaerobic tank and Carroussel oxidation ditch processes, which have more advantages than traditional treatment processes, mainly including better BOD, nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiency, less power consumption, and lower operating costs. This treatment plant design contains two special characteristics: the design considers the overall plan and pipeline layout of the wastewater treatment plant, and the size data of each module are calculated through theoretical study conforming to the real case.

Analysis on Operation and Water Quality Characteristics of Centralized Wastewater Treatment Plants of Industrial Parks in Yellow River Basin, China

The Yellow River basin serves as an important economic belt and industrial base in China, featuring numerous industrial parks. However, alongside its economic significance, the basin struggles with significant water environmental challenges. This study analyzed the operational status, influent water quality, and energy consumption of 63 centralized wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) from 54 major industrial parks in the Yellow River basin. The scale of these WWTPs was primarily within the range of 1 × 104~5 × 104 m3/d, with an average hydraulic loading rate of 53.8%. Aerobic treatment processes are predominant. The influent concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) in the WWTPs exhibited a right-skewed distribution. The BOD/COD ratio of the WWTPs fluctuated between 0.1 and 1.6, and 75% of the WWTPs showed a COD/TN ratio lower than eight. The average BOD5/TN was 2.7, and the probability of influent BOD5/TP > 20 was 84.6%. A significant linear correlation exists between the influent BOD and COD concentrations, while moderate linear relationships are also observed among NH3-N, TN and TP, emphasizing the importance of maintaining appropriate nitrogen and phosphorus levels for efficient pollutant removal. The average electricity consumption of WWTPs in the Yellow River basin in 2023 was 1.1 kWh/m3. It is important to upgrade these WWTPs and reduce their energy consumption. Further strengthening the construction of industrial wastewater collection and treatment facilities based on regional characteristics is recommended to promote the high-quality development of industrial wastewater treatment in the Yellow River basin.

Wastewater generation model to predict impacts of urine separation on wastewater treatment plants.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are under increasing pressure to enhance resource efficiency and reduce emissions into water bodies. The separation of urine within the catchment area may be an alternative to mitigate the need for costly expansions of central WWTPs. While previous investigations assumed a spatially uniform implementation of urine separation across the catchment area, the present study focuses on an adapted stochastic wastewater generation model, which allows the simulation of various wastewater streams (e.g., urine) on a household level. This enables the non-uniform separation of urine across a catchment area. The model is part of a holistic modelling framework to determine the influence of targeted urine separation in catchments on the operation and emissions of central WWTPs, which will be briefly introduced. The wastewater generation model is validated through an extensive sampling and measurement series. Results based on observed and simulated wastewater quantity and quality for a catchment area of 366 residents for two dry weather days indicate the suitability of the model for wastewater generation and transport modelling. Based on this, four scenarios for urine separation were defined. The results indicate a potential influence of spatial distribution on the peaks of total nitrogen and total phosphorus.

Emerging and legacy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in fluorochemical wastewater along full-scale treatment processes: Source, fate, and ecological risk

The increasing applications of emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have raised global concern. However, the release of emerging PFAS from the fluorochemical industry remains unclear. Herein, the occurrence of 48 emerging and legacy PFAS in wastewater from 10 fluorochemical manufacturers and mass flows of PFAS in a centralized wastewater treatment plant were investigated. Their distribution and ecological risk in neighboring riverine water were also evaluated. In wastewater from fluorochemical manufacturers, PFAS concentrations were in the range of 14,700–5200,000 ng/L and 2 H,2 H-perfluorooctanoic acid (6:2 FTCA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), N-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamide (N-EtFOSA), and 1 H,1 H,2 H,2 H-perfluorodecanesulfonate (8:2 FTS) were the major PFAS detected. Several PFAS displayed increased mass flows after wastewater treatment, especially PFOA and 6:2 FTCA. The mass flows of PFAS increased from − 20% to 233% after the activated sludge system but decreased by only 0–13% after the activated carbon filtration. In riverine water, PFAS concentrations were in the range of 5900–39,100 ng/L and 6:2 FTCA, 1 H,1 H,2 H,2 H-perfluorodecyl phosphate monoester (8:2 monoPAP), 1 H,1 H,2 H,2 H-perfluorooctyl phosphate monoester (6:2 monoPAP), PFOA, and perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) were the major PFAS detected. PFOA and 6:2 FTCA exhibited comparable hazard quotients for ecological risk. Current wastewater treatment processes cannot fully remove various PFAS discharged by fluorochemical manufacturers, and further investigations on their risk are needed for better chemical management.

Heterogeneous application prospect and techno-economic analysis of hydrogen from wasted activated sludge: Using microbial electrolysis cell

The efficiency of hydrogen production from waste activated sludge (WAS) through combining anaerobic digestion and microbial electrolysis cell (AD-MEC) systems has been increasing. With advancements in materials science, the cost of MEC anode materials has decreased, making this technology potentially economically viable. By analyzing data from 3611 centralized wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in 276 prefecture-level cities in China, theoretical application scenarios and environmental benefits of hydrogen production in these WWTPs via AD-MEC were evaluated. Additionally, a theoretical economic model is constructed to validate the economic feasibility of AD-MEC technology. The key findings suggested that the theoretical potential for hydrogen production from WAS in China is 152,610.5 tons/year. The amount of CO2 emitted by natural gas, fuel diesel buses, or power electric public transportation could reduce approximately 1.51, 3.2, and 2.4 million tons/year, respectively, through utilizing hydrogen instead of the above energy sources. Due to the broader temperature adaptability of hydrogen fuel cells, this emission reduction effect was more pronounced in colder, high-latitude regions. Economic analysis revealed that, considering sludge reduction, the AD-MEC system could achieved a return on investment of 13%. This study demonstrated that with the rapid progression in urbanization, AD-MEC systems could contribute to reducing WAS treatment costs and providing clean hydrogen for carbon emission reductions in urban areas.

Phosphate Recovery from Urine-Equivalent Solutions for Fertilizer Production for Plant Growth.

This study presents a proof of concept for the recovery of phosphate from aqueous solutions with high phosphorus (PO4-P) initial contents to simulate the concentration of streams from decentralized wastewater systems. Solutions with ∼500 ppm phosphorus enable phosphate adsorption and recovery, in contrast to the highly diluted inlet streams (<10 ppm) from centralized wastewater treatment plants. In this work, Mg-Fe layered double hydroxide is used as a phosphate adsorbent, demonstrating its separation from aqueous streams, recovery, and use as a fertilizer following the principles of circular economy. We demonstrate that the mechanism of phosphate adsorption in this material is by a combination of surface complexation and electrostatic attraction. After the loss of crystallinity in the presence of water in the first cycle and its associated decrease in adsorption capacity, the Mg-Fe layered double hydroxide (LDH) is stable after consecutive adsorption/desorption cycles, where desorption solutions were reused to substantially increase the final phosphate concentration demonstrating the recyclability of the material in a semicontinuous process. Phosphate recovered in this way was used to complement phosphate-deficient plant growth medium, demonstrating its efficacy as a fertilizer and thereby promoting a circular and sustainable economy.

Industrial Wastewater Indirect Discharges in Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Perspective: A Case Study of Prague

Wastewater discharge is one of the sources of environmental pollution. Wastewater pollution originates, inter alia, in industrial wastewater. After treatment, industrial wastewater can be discharged directly into the receiving water body or indirectly into a sewerage network terminated by the concluding stage of wastewater treatment. In the Czech Republic, indirect wastewater discharges are obeyed by the contractual relationship between the wastewater producer and the sewerage network operator. General limits for indirectly discharged wastewater are not set by any national legislation. The aim of this paper is a description of industrial wastewater discharged into the municipal sewerage system in Prague and possibilities of setting limits for installations undertaking the industrial activities listed in Annex I of the Integrated Prevention Act. The study showed that 72% of installations discharge industrial wastewater indirectly. The majority are energy plants that produce boiler blowdown wastewater. More than 80% of wastewater from studied installations is treated by one central wastewater treatment plant. The studied installations are equipped with a wastewater neutralization unit. However, despite the existence of the legislative framework to propose limits for studied installations, only two installations covered by BAT conclusions with relevant BAT-AELs for indirect discharges to the receiving water body were determined. Generally, a small percentage of installations can be limited by an integrated permit due to an inconsistent approach to the issue of indirect discharges from installations under the scope of the Integrated Prevention Act.

Identification of Factors Influencing the Presence of Fecal Coliforms in Densely Populated Areas with Centralized Wastewater Treatment Systems

Introduction: Tegal Panggung is a high population density sub-district of 26,326 inhabitants/km2. Most residents utilize wells to meet their water demands, but fecal coliform bacteria were found in several wells at Tegal Panggung. This type of contamination source is typically from on-site wastewater treatments. However, wastewater from Tegal Panggung is treated at a centralized wastewater treatment plant. This study is aimed at identifying the factors leading to the presence of fecal coliform bacteria in Tegal Panggung. Methods: Factors reviewed in this study were the amount of waste, drainage, cattle pens, toilets, types of wells, and building density. Statistical methods and GIS were applied to determine the influence of the factors on the presence of fecal coliform and to map its distribution along with potential sources of pollution. The number of wells tested was 32, with a research period from September to October 2021. The statistical methods used are the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Normality Test, the Spearman Correlation Test, and the spatial analysis method, which was carried out using QGIS. The statistical tests were conducted to determine the correlation value between fecal coliform and pollutant. Results and Discussion: The study showed that only 40.62% met the standard requirements when there should be no fecal coliform contents in well water. Conclusion: Based on the Spearman Correlation Test, it can be deduced that the factors affecting the presence of fecal coliform within 10 meters radius are garbage and of 30 meters radius are toilets and building density.

Hospitals and households as primary emission sources for risk-posing pharmaceuticals in municipal wastewater

A wide range of pharmaceutical residues is known to occur in the environment. While they are released into surface waters mainly through centralized wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), their primary emission sources are located upstream in the sewer network. Information on emissions from different types of primary emission sources is scarce. However, such information could help direct emission reduction measures more efficiently. In this study, we analysed the concentrations of selected active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in wastewater samples taken from altogether ten sites, covering primary emission sources (hospitals and households), and conventional WWTPs. The concentrations in WWTP effluents were used to identify APIs causing risk in recipient waterbodies. Furthermore, the API loads from households and hospitals were compared to those reaching the WWTP in mixed influents. Our results confirm previously published observations of several pharmaceuticals exceeding their predicted no-effect concentrations in effluent wastewaters. Moreover, the concentrations of most of the analysed APIs are comparatively high in hospital wastewaters, resulting in elevated risk quotients. While the total API loads are relatively low from primary emission sources, owing to the low wastewater volume generated at those sites, per capita emissions were shown to be several times higher at hospital sites than at household sites for APIs such as metronidazole, trimethoprim, and ofloxacin. These findings indicate, that directing emission reduction measures to hospitals could be an effective way to decrease the loads of several risk-posing APIs into the environment, especially where hospital contribution to overall wastewater flow to WWTPs is high.

Control Methods of Invasive Plant Species and the Influence of Cultural Vegetation on the Microclimate within the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant in Ostrava – Pilot Results

Control Methods of Invasive Plant Species and the Influence of Cultural Vegetation on the Microclimate within the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant in Ostrava – Pilot Results

Constructed wetlands for the treatment of combined sewer overflow upstream of centralized wastewater treatment plants

Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) constitute nowadays a major environmental concern, representing one of the main untreated sources of pollution for receiving water bodies. Additional, in recent years, the frequency and intensity of CSOs have increased due to the growing urbanisation and climate change. Although there is no single effective strategy, one of the most promising approaches for the control and treatment of CSOs can be found in nature-based solutions (NBS), such as constructed wetlands (CWs). Despite the demonstrated potential of CWs to treat CSOs, the only data reported in the literature refer to CSO-CW systems located along the sewerage network. This research represents, to the best of our knowledge, the first monitoring of a full-scale CSO-CW designed to treat the combined sewer overflow upstream of the WWTP located in Carimate, in the province of Como (Italy). The system is a multistage CW, composed by a 1st vertical subsurface flow (VF) stage (total area of 8500 m2) and a 2nd free water surface (FWS) stage (total area of 4500 m2). The observed removal rates during the 3 years monitoring campaign (mean values equal to 83.2%, 64.6%, 63.8% for COD, TP, and N-NH4+ respectively) confirmed the treatment efficiency of CW system for all the investigated parameters, consistent with literature data for CSO-CWs in line with the sewerage network, despite its large scale and different hydraulic characteristics. Furthermore, the system also provides additional ecosystem services such as flood mitigation (average CSO interception of 82%), enhancement of biodiversity and a low operational and maintenance cost.

Mpox virus detection in the wastewater and the number of hospitalized patients in the Poznan metropolitan area, Poland

ObjectivesWastewater-based epidemiology can determine the scale of a mpox epidemic and thus is a promising additional tool that can complete data gathered by the clinical monitoring approach and predict more accurately the development and progress of the current mpox outbreak. MethodsWe collected daily average samples from two wastewater treatment plants (WTPs): Central and Left-Bank, in Poznan, Poland from July to December 2022. The mpox DNA was detected using real-time polymerase chain reaction and compared with the number of hospitalizations. ResultsWe detected the mpox DNA in the Central WTP in weeks 29, 43, and 47 and the Left-Bank WTP mostly from mid-September till the end of October. A total of 22 patients with mpox were reported by the public health authority from July to December 2022, with the highest number of hospitalized individuals from mid-July to mid-August. The mpox virus detection does not correlate with the number of hospitalizations in Poznan, Poland. ConclusionOur results suggest that the scale of the mpox epidemic is underestimated, and many mpox virus-infected individuals are not identified by the public health authority.

Improvement of the Treatment Performance of the Conventional Wastewater Treatment Plant: A Case Study of the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

This study is carried out within the framework of the requirements of ensuring reliable operation of the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant of Ulaanbaatar to increase the treatment performance and mitigate the adverse impacts of the current poor performance on nature and ecology. The dynamic of the current influent was studied in order to find the best-suited solution as a means of improvement for the WWTP. As an immediate and fast-to-build solution, an equalization tank and pre-aeration facilities were proposed. The positive effect of the facilities on the biological treatment stage and the overall treatment performance was estimated both theoretically and empirically. The results showed that the overall performance of the treatment for BOD5 and TSS will be increased by up to 30% and 10%, respectively. Furthermore, the high fluctuation problems the central WWTP in terms of hydraulic and pollution load will be positively affected by the intervention, eliminating the main cause of the current poor treatment performance.

Effect of Artificial (Pond) Recharge on the Salinity and Groundwater Level in Al-Dibdibba Aquifer in Iraq Using Treated Wastewater

Groundwater is one of the most important water resources in Iraq, so efficient management of storage, recharge, and consumption rates is required, for maintaining the sustainability of groundwater supplies. Some of the most valuable methods for ensuring the long-term sustainability of groundwater aquifers are those that provide artificial recharge. This study was conducted to determine the effect of artificial recharge on groundwater levels and quality in Iraq’s Dibdibba unconfined aquifer, utilizing groundwater modeling system software (GMS). Reclaimed water (tertiary treatment) from Kerbala’s central wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was used as raw water to recharge the aquifer. The effects of this artificial recharge were determined using built-up groundwater flow (MODFLOW) and dissolved transport (MT3DMS) simulation models. Model calibration and validation were implemented based on groundwater monitoring data from 2016 to 2017. The model matched observed elevations at R2 = 0.96 for steady state and R2 = 0.92 in transient state simulations. After the 3D numerical model was calibrated and validated, two scenarios were explored based on the daily production of 5000 and 10,000 m3/d from Karbala’s WWTP. The results indicated that the pumping of the treated wastewater through the pond would increase water levels by more than 20 cm for more than 78.2 and 110 km2 for pumping rates of 5000 and 10,000 m3/day, respectively. More than 40 km2 would be added (reclaimed) to the agricultural areas in the region as a result of the use of artificial recharge using a pond. Groundwater quality was also improved, as the TDS decreased by more than 55%, down to 1900 ppm, and the EC decreased by more than 68%, down to 1500 µ.S/cm. The findings of this study can assist decision-makers in developing strategies to reduce water scarcity and adapt to climate change.

Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza in preK-12 schools shows school, community, and citywide infections

Wastewater surveillance is a passive and efficient way to monitor the spread of infectious diseases in large populations and high transmission areas such as preK-12 schools. Infections caused by respiratory viruses in school-aged children are likely underreported, particularly because many children may be asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic. Wastewater monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 has been studied extensively and primarily by sampling at centralized wastewater treatment plants, and there are limited studies on SARS-CoV-2 in preK-12 school wastewater. Similarly, wastewater detections of influenza have only been reported in wastewater treatment plant and university manhole samples. Here, we present the results of a 17-month wastewater monitoring program for SARS-CoV-2 (n = 2176 samples) and influenza A and B (n = 1217 samples) in 51 preK-12 schools. We show that school wastewater concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA were strongly associated with COVID-19 cases in schools and community positivity rates, and that influenza detections in school wastewater were significantly associated with citywide influenza diagnosis rates. Results were communicated back to schools and local communities to enable mitigation strategies to stop the spread, and direct resources such as testing and vaccination clinics. This study demonstrates that school wastewater surveillance is reflective of local infections at several population levels and plays a crucial role in the detection and mitigation of outbreaks.