Staff Software Engineer

Global initiative will harness wastewater as an early warning system for public health protection. Labs across the world will collect wastewater samples on Global Wastewater Day in 2027 to generate a unique snapshot of international public health. * Press release * Published on Wednesday 26 August 2026 * Last updated on Wednesday 26 August 2026 * View more announcements in Communications Researchers from CWBE at the University of Bath partnered with Bangor University have launched Global Wastewater Day (GWD), a pioneering international initiative to harness wastewater as an early warning system for future pandemics. The initiative will bring together scientists, governments, water utilities and public health organisations from around the world to establish one of the first coordinated global wastewater intelligence networks to transform wastewater from an overlooked by-product into one of the world's most powerful tools for understanding public health, environmental change and emerging global risks. The initiative aims to create a simultaneous global snapshot of health and environmental conditions through wastewater analysis, generating new insights to strengthen disease surveillance, track antimicrobial resistance, protect the environment and improve pandemic preparedness. Professor Davey Jones, from Bangor University (Wales), who is the leading the partnership, launched the initiative at the World Water Week conference in Stockholm, which brought together experts, policymakers, businesses and international organisations from across the globe. The project will coordinate a single, global day of wastewater sampling on 31 March 2027, with participating partners analysing wastewater at host labs across the world. Professor Barbara Kasprzyk-Hordern, Global Wastewater Day co-chair and Director of the University of Bath's Centre of Excellence in Water-Based Early-Warning Systems for Health Protection (CWBE), will provide the steer and deliver the chemical analysis programme of global wastewater samples with centre's new cutting-edge mass spectrometry facility. Professor Julie Barnett, Social Sciences Lead at CWBE, has also joined GWD steering committee to coordinate the ethical oversight of the initiative. The aim is to generate the first synchronised snapshot of global public health using wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). Using established and cutting-edge methods, the programme will focus on detecting antimicrobial resistance (AMR), pathogens, pharmaceuticals, chemical indicators and other markers of human health. The initiative is being delivered in partnership between the University of Bath, Bangor University, Verily Health, the Global Consortium for Wastewater and Environmental Surveillance for Public Health (GLOWACON), the European Commission Joint Research Centre, and a growing international consortium of scientific and public health organisations. By capturing comparable information from communities around the world, Global Wastewater Day seeks to establish a new global benchmark for monitoring health and environmental change. With over 31 countries signed up to date, the initiative's long-term ambition is to create a "Planetary Health Observatory" where wastewater becomes a routine source of intelligence for understanding the interconnected health of people, animals and the environment. Professor Barbara Kasprzyk-Hordern, Director of CWBE at the University of Bath, said: "I am delighted to see this unique initiative moving forward. "Global Wastewater Day provides an important opportunity to highlight the vital role of Wastewater-Based Epidemiology in protecting public health, safeguarding the environment, and driving sustainable innovation. "As a powerful tool for monitoring population health and environmental trends, wastewater analysis will deliver actionable insights that support evidence-based decision-making and help build more resilient and sustainable communities worldwide. "With cutting-edge analytical capabilities we will generate unprecedented insights into population health, including the burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, dietary and nutritional patterns, and exposure to hazardous chemicals, including PFAS." Davey Jones, Professor of Environmental Science and Public Health at Bangor University, said: "Everything Bath do in society leaves a footprint in its wastewater. "With Global Wastewater Day Bath want to harness the information it provides to supercharge public health research across the world, helping Bath detect emerging threats earlier and build a stronger early-warning system for future pandemics. "The initiative will enable a global comparison of public health data using standardised methods, while building a long-term resource through annual repeat sampling and an open-access dataset. "A core principle of the project is accessibility and inclusivity, with a strong emphasis on supporting participation from low- and middle-income countries. "Bath want to encourage as many scientists, organisations and communities as possible to get involved, contribute data and expertise, and share the initiative with colleagues and networks who may be interested. "By working across borders, we have an unprecedented opportunity to transform wastewater from an overlooked resource into a source of global intelligence, helping to protect populations, strengthen resilience and support better decision-making for future generations." Organisations and researchers are invited to register their interest in taking part in Global Wastewater Day. Media enquiries.

Verily has raised $300 million in a funding round led by Series X Capital, with participation from Alphabet, UCHealth, the University of Colorado Anschutz and others. Alphabet remains a significant minority investor but no longer holds a controlling stake in the precision health AI company. The investment marks Verily's transition from an LLC to a corporation, now officially named Verily Health Inc. The funds will accelerate its AI-native precision health platform strategy, helping customers harmonise healthcare data and deploy actionable intelligence into research and care workflows. Verily recently announced partnerships with Samsung's Galaxy Watch and Salesforce's Agentforce Health. The company, which graduated from Google X 10 years ago as one of Alphabet's earliest ventures, aims to make healthcare more personalised, predictive and precise through AI-powered solutions.