National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program: Seventh Report

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) conducts regular monitoring of wastewater, to track the levels of substances in the sewerage. This seventh report covers 54% of the Australian population - about 12.6 million people, with monitoring occurring at fifty wastewater treatment plants across the country.

While there are some limitations with this research (for example the estimates around the quantity of substances that an "average" person may consume), it does provide an indication of the spread of substances throughout the population, and changes over time.  The report covers 13 substances, however it does not monitor use of cannabis.

Findings of the report reveal an increase in consumption of MDMA in both capital city and regional sites, which is in line with other research. There was also an increase in traces of heroin detected in capital cities.

Read the full “National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program - Seventh Report”