Days after the mayor of neighboring Stamford issued a warning about the risk of increased COVID-19 virus cases based on a test of the city’s wastewater system, New Canaan’s highest elected official voiced skepticism about the value of such a test here.
Addressing the prospect of the test in New Canaan, First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said Tuesday, “I am a little skeptical myself about the value of doing that testing.”
“I think the testing of individuals is much more important,” he said during a regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen, held via videoconference. “The fact that we have tested 4,000 residents in the past 60, 80, 90 days and the fact that also we do not have people claiming that they’re ill. To me that is kind of a very rough test and wouldn’t be that helpful.”
Moynihan added that although he’s read reports that “fecal testing may be more effective with babies,” still “the wastewater is very, very rough kind of test and doesn’t tell you that much.”
The topic was raised by Selectman Kathleen Corbet during a discussion of general matters. She referred to an emergency bulletin from Stamford Mayor David Martin that “a COVID-19 early warning wastewater system detected a potential increase in cases of COVID-19 in Stamford.”
Corbet asked whether such a test would be valuable for New Canaan.
“I think only one-third of our population are actually on our sewer,” she said.
According to Public Works Director Tiger Mann, town officials have asked the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protect about the test.
“We are noticing that Yale is doing a test study with certain municipalities in the state, but [New Canaan Superintendent of Water Pollution Control Facility Jim Rogers] is waiting for a little bit more guidance from DEEP,” Mann said.
Selectman Nick Williams asked about the expense of such a testing program.
Mann said it costs $1,000 per test per week, and that there’s an open question of where to conduct the test.
“We have three pump stations that bring sewage to the station itself,” he said. “Do you test at the station or elsewhere?” He added that some of the sewage comes from the gas stations near Exit 37 on the Merritt Parkway.
“To me that is kind of a very rough test and wouldn’t be that helpful.”
Thank God for Dr. Moynihan.