Higher levels of COVID-19 found in wastewater in Altamonte Springs: study

Higher levels of COVID-19 found in wastewater in Altamonte Springs

Officials in Altamonte Springs say 70-percent of residents are infected with COVID-19 who live near the Altamonte Springs Sewer Service area.

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. - There are more traces of COVID-19 in Altamonte Springs wastewater than ever before.

The city estimates 70-percent of residents are infected based off the water.

Officials say the positivity rate doubled from last Monday to Thursday.

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"We are now teaching other cities how to do this, and we are bringing them into our program, so we are getting a better and more complete view of Central Florida each time we are able to teach someone else how to do this type of testing," said Frank Martz, Altamonte Springs City Manager.

The data from the testing allows the city to get ready for any future strains and to tell frontline workers and residents about any potential hazards.

The City of Altamonte Springs has been testing the sewage since April 2020 and has one of the largest collections of samples in the United States, according to Martz.

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