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Across California, coronavirus levels in wastewater are at a “medium” level; the last time viral levels were consistently “low” was in April, according to the state Department of Public Health’s website.

Unlike the cleaned water that is discharged from wastewater treatment plants, the sewage sludge, or biosolid as the industry calls it, is considered "exempted waste".

Coronavirus levels detected in the county’s wastewater have increased by 6% in the last three weeks, but also remain relatively low and are about one-eighth of the peak in the summer of last year.

Researchers say that climate change and an increase in agricultural runoff, wastewater discharge and urban stormwater have increased the scale and frequency of these blooms in recent years.

“Recovery is ongoing, and the fires have sparked critical conversations about drinking water and wastewater system resiliency,” the researchers wrote in the report.