Windsor is on board to use poop to detect new drugs in the city's wastewater

The human waste Windsorites flush down the toilet will soon be analyzed by government officials to help detect drugs.

Health Canada runs the National Wastewater Drug Surveillance program across the country. Its purpose is detecting trends and patterns and identifying new substances in the region.

The City of Windsor is in the process of signing an agreement to participate in the initiative, which looks at untreated wastewater to detect emerging drugs and trends.

"The benefits to the community I think are just awareness," said Kevin Webb, manager of environmental quality at the City of Windsor.

"It's an eye-opener."

What do officials do with this data?

Webb said the data will be a tool for health officials in Windsor, and across Canada, to be better prepared to treat or inform the public.

"To date, Health Canada's wastewater analysis has already detected a number of new and emerging substances associated with drug toxicity," according to a city report.

The proposed name for the local project is Twin Cities Wastewater Drug Surveillance: a cross-border study.

It would look at pairs of cities of comparable sizes that are located along the Canada-U.S. border and collect samples of at least one year in order to provide a "meaningful" analysis.

Health Canada already conducts wastewater surveillance for viruses like COVID-19, RSV and measles. If activity in wastewater is high, Health Canada says, it can indicate a higher level of the virus in a community. 

Webb says a sampling machine pulls a one litre sample every hour, which is then tested for COVID-19 and drugs, including what's normal or expected. 

"What they're also looking for is the new stuff, the things that we aren't aware of that are coming in and being used," Webb said. "I think those are just as important, if not more important for Canada, in itself."

500 substances to be tested

Officials would test the human waste for more than "500 new and emerging psychoactive substances."

The report said the drugs of concern are fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances.

"It's something that people downtown in the city or at public health or at the hospitals can be made aware of in the future that these drugs are coming through," Webb said. 

"They could be a little bit more proactive in preparing and their treatment process or informing the public of these drugs that are going around in the community."

The Lou Romano Water Reclamation Plant in Windsor will be collecting samples for drug testing, which covers all wastewater west of Pillette Road, up to Oldcastle and back around to LaSalle and west Windsor.

Similar programs have proven helpful across Canada.

On Monday, health officials in Yellowknife found two new drugs present in its wastewater that could be harmful.

In November, Statistics Canada said Prince Albert, Sask. had the highest average daily loads of cocaine, meth and amphetamines in its wastewater, compared to other large cities.