The Hidden Potential of Sewage: Unleashing the Power of Big Data in Our Cities

💧Sewage contains a wealth of information on our health and well-being, as urine and stool provide valuable insights for analysis.

📊Wastewater epidemiology, the analysis of sewage, can detect infectious disease viruses, chemical markers for drugs, and bacteria in our collective microbiomes.

🔒Sewage data is aggregated and anonymized, making it the perfect source for valuable information without tying it back to specific individuals.

🌐Wastewater epidemiology is just one example of the big data generated in cities, including data from cameras, sensors, drones, and healthcare and educational systems.

🏙️With more than half of all people living in cities today, harnessing big data can inform real-time improvements in areas such as social policy, environmental management, and health equity.

What kind of information can be detected in sewage samples?

—Sewage samples can detect infectious disease viruses, chemical markers for drugs, and the bacteria that live in our collective microbiomes.

Is sewage data tied to specific individuals?

—No, sewage data is aggregated and anonymized, ensuring that it cannot be tied back to specific individuals.

What other kinds of big data are generated in cities?

—Cities generate vast amounts of data from cameras, sensors, drones, air quality and water quality monitoring, and healthcare and educational systems.

How can wastewater epidemiology improve health outcomes?

—Wastewater epidemiology can provide real-time information about disease activity in communities, helping inform public health responses and resource allocation.

Why is harnessing big data important for cities?

—With more than half of all people living in cities today and growing challenges such as climate change and pandemics, big data can inform real-time improvements in areas such as social policy, environmental management, and health equity.

00:00Introduction to the hidden potential of sewage and the data it holds about our health and well-being.

05:00The use of wastewater epidemiology, analyzing sewage samples, to detect infectious disease viruses, chemical markers for drugs, and bacteria in our collective microbiomes.

10:00The anonymized nature of sewage data, making it a valuable source of information without tying it back to specific individuals.

15:00The broader context of big data generated in cities, including data from cameras, sensors, drones, and healthcare and educational systems.

20:00The importance of harnessing big data in cities, especially with the majority of people now living in urban areas.

25:00The potential of wastewater epidemiology to improve health outcomes, inform real-time improvements in social policy, environmental management, and health equity.

30:00Examples of using sewage data to tackle public health crises, such as detecting drug consumption and predicting disease outbreaks.

35:00The call to leverage the power of big data to create intelligent urbanization and address the challenges faced by cities.