GREEN RIVER — The Green River City Council voted unanimously to enter a contract with the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) to sample the city’s wastewater for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19 Coronavirus.
The WDH contacted the 14 largest cities in Wyoming to partake in the sampling of their wastewater. The WDH is willing to pay up to $28,000 for the sampling, $4,000 of which will go to toward an automatic sampler. The sampler allows for a more representative sample of wastewater.
The automatic sampler costs a little more than $4,000 so the city could be out some funds by doing the sample, however, the wastewater treatment plant will keep the sampler and use in the future as needed.
Councilwoman Lisa Maes asked what the basis is for getting the sample, because if it’s already in the wastewater they can’t really do anything about it.
Reed Clevenger, Green River City Administrator, said the purpose of the samples are to “get the most granular information they can of what may be out there.”
He added that it will help further the research being done on COVID-19 by the WDH and Sweetwater County Health.
