National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program reports

The National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program (the Program) commenced in August 2016 and provides leading-edge, coordinated national research and intelligence on illicit drugs and licit drugs that can be abused, with a specific focus on methylamphetamine and other high-risk substances. The Program is funded from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission’s annual budgetary allocation.

Wastewater analysis is widely applied internationally as a tool to measure and interpret drug use within national populations. The Program gives us valuable insight into trends in drug consumption across Australia and can identify new sources of threat.

By analysing the findings of the Program, government, law enforcement, health, education and community organisations will be able to start a national conversation about drug trends and develop targeted policies.

Longitudinal data figures, by state and territory and drug type, have been included since Report 11, and updated with each report. These figures make it easier to view drug consumption for individual states and territories and can be downloaded from the report page.

Wastewater provides an important, timely and consistent guiding tool for developing holistic drug responses.

Reports

Report 20 of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program

Report 20 covered sampling in April and June 2023. A population of about 14 million Australians, equating to approximately 55% of our country’s population was sampled.

Report 19 of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission has commissioned The University of Queensland, and through it the University of South Australia, to undertake the data collection and analysis that underpins the report.

Report 18 of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program

Report 18 of the ACIC’s wastewater program covered sampling in August and October 2022. In August, 58 wastewater sites were monitored nationally, covering approximately 57% of the Australian population.

Report 17 of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program

Report 17 of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program covers around 56% of the Australian population, which equates to about 14.1 million people. This is the first report that incorporates population estimates from the 2021 Census, making our estimates of the population being sampled more accurate.

Report 16 of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) has commissioned The University of Queensland, and through it the University of South Australia, to undertake the data collection and analysis that underpins the report.

Report 15 of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) has commissioned The University of Queensland, and through it the University of South Australia, to undertake the data collection and analysis that underpins the report.

Report 14 of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) has commissioned The University of Queensland, and through it he University of South Australia, to undertake the data collection and analysis that underpins the report.

Report 13 of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program

Wastewater analysis assists in understanding drug use within populations, providing a measure of one important aspect of national health—the demand for a range of licit and illicit drugs.

Report 12 of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) has commissioned the University of Queensland, and through it the University of South Australia, to undertake the data collection and analysis that underpins the report.

Report 11 of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) has commissioned the University of Queensland, and through it the University of South Australia, to undertake the data collection and analysis that underpins the report.