As a new school year begins and the chill of fall sets in, healthcare professionals across the country are reminding their communities to stay home when they are sick and get vaccinated for the flu and COVID-19. One of the ways New York State has continued to keep track of COVID-19 cases is with wastewater surveillance. Every week, the New York State Department of Health puts together a report of its findings. In Essex County, Lake Placid, Moriah, Ticonderoga and Saranac Lake are on the wastewater surveillance map. As of Sept. 14, all of these places had high detection levels. In addition to showing the detection level, wastewater surveillance compares each week’s levels to past levels.