Tempe Tests 11 Wastewater Sites for Illicit Drugs to Curb Overdoses
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 21
Tempe Tests 11 Wastewater Sites for Illicit Drugs to Curb Overdoses
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 21
Summary
Tempe crews now collect samples from 11 sewage monitoring sheds and rush them to a new city lab, where chemists test wastewater for traces of dangerous drugs.
The city uses the results to spot drugs entering neighborhoods early and warn residents and emergency responders before overdoses rise.
An interactive dashboard has already flagged xylazine in one collection area on April 27 and a fentanyl jump in another on May 11.
Tempe is part of a broader post-pandemic expansion of wastewater drug surveillance, with tests also used in schools, truck stops and major events, while lawmakers in at least five states have proposed funding.