The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is giving  $6.2 million in funding for five grants to support research on existing and novel surrogates for detecting and monitoring viruses in wastewater that is intended for water reuse applications.

“Safe and reliable water supplies are critical to our nation’s communities and economy," Wayne Cascio, acting principal deputy assistant administrator for science at EPA's Office of Research and Development, said in a press release. "The research funded by these grants will coordinate water reuse research, help identify critical science gaps and accelerate opportunities for reuse.”

Groups receiving the funding include the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Tulane University, the University of California, the University of Michigan and the Water Research Foundation.

Researching wastewater has become a priority for the EPA in anticipation of future struggles to obtain fresh water for the entire population. Reuse of wastewater has a potential to significantly increase the nation's total available water resources, but there are concerns about the presence of viruses from feces that could infect humans.

The EPA "expects the research from these grants will provide information that will enable wastewater operators, reuse projects, and state and local regulators to ensure the public is protected from these viruses when reusing municipal wastewater for various reuse applications."