Wastewater surveillance testing is a scientific method used to analyse wastewater to determine the presence of substances, such as illicit drugs. Wastewater testing is often conducted at the workplace by analysing sewage to gain insight into drug use at a site. Wastewater is usually conducted over a period of time to analyse drug usage and trends. It is a non-invasive way of determining if there is issue with illicit drug use on site. It is a highly efficient approach to gathering real-time evidence of substance abuse in the workplace.

There are many reasons why companies decide to use wastewater testing, especially in workplace environments such as construction, mining and other industries where workplace safety is significant. Some of the key advantages of wastewater testing include:

• Data- Driven Decision Making: As wastewater testing gives insight into what drug employees are using, companies can tailor their drug and alcohol polices as well as provide education on the risks associated with drug use based on real-life data.
• Detection of Trends: Companies can identify emerging patterns of drug use and educate their staff on new drugs that can be extremely harmful, which may reduce the number of employees consuming drugs.
• Policy Validation: Wastewater testing helps confirm if a company needs to update their existing drug and alcohol policy. A company that regularly carries out wastewater testing could see if changes made to their policies are working.
• Privacy friendly: It is a non-invasive way to gather information on drug use at a site with quick results.

This testing method is particularly useful in industries where safety and fitness for work are critical, as it helps mitigate risks associated with substance use.

Background
Wastewater Testing provides invaluable information about drug use in an organisation and can assist in tailoring your current drug and alcohol policy. Safework Health recently carried out wastewater testing at a coal mine site in New South Wales to better understand the role illicit drug use plays in fitness for work at the site. The aim for the client was to validate the existing onsite testing program and to understand the impact of the findings and to compare them to data from similar regions and industries.
Findings
 The site reported significant methamphetamine use, with 3–3.5% of the workforce identified as users of the illicit drug. Amphetamine use was observed at moderate to high levels, while cocaine usage was moderately high, equating to over 52 standard doses per 1,000 workers. Morphine/diacetylmorphine use was recorded at moderate levels, and oxazepam usage was detected at a low rate.

Recommendations
The HSE team should analyse data for correlations between drug use and rosters, continue wastewater monitoring, and implement randomised blanket testing. Urine screening should be considered for its extended and more favourable detection windows. Leadership support is needed for expanded testing and a targeted education campaign on drug risks, detection methods, and rehabilitation resources. Effectiveness will be evaluated via wastewater retesting in 6–12 months, with success defined by a significant reduction in drug use.

If you would like more information about Wastewater Surveillance Testing, please call us on 1300 795 227 or email us at info@swhealth.com.au. Safework Health have carried out numerous wastewater surveillance testing for clients in the past, with accurate and fast results.