CWSS-IS: A Technical Framework for Digitalized Wastewater Surveillance-Information System Structure, Data Standards,...

Many countries have integrated wastewater monitoring systems with their infectious disease surveillance systems to enhance public health response capabilities. An Information System for the Chinese Urban Wastewater Surveillance System (CWSS-IS) was developed based on the unified digital infrastructure of the China CDC. The primary functional modules of the CWSS-IS include information on monitoring sites, wastewater sample collection, relevant physicochemical indicators, qualitative and quantitative laboratory results, and sequencing data. The system implements unified data collection indicators and formats and standardizes data processing procedures and quality control (QC) rules. Launched nationally in February 2024, the CWSS-IS covers 169 cities with >3,000 registered users from CDCs, tracking multiple biomarkers in wastewater treatment plants, hospitals, communities, markets, and inbound flights. By January 2026, data had been collected from 118,729 samples. Compared to previous email-based reporting methods, the CWSS-IS demonstrated significant advantages in terms of efficiency, convenience, security, and scalability. This system offers valuable insights into the prevalence of infectious diseases and can effectively inform public health initiatives. Additionally, it serves as a standard paradigm for developing regional wastewater monitoring information systems. Future efforts should focus on exploring multisource data fusion standards, artificial intelligence frameworks, and large-scale data computational platforms to enhance early warning capabilities.