The following description was taken from ACIC: National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) is responsible for providing information and intelligence on criminal activity to support Government in creating a safer Australia. Much of the harm that Australians suffer at the hands of organised crime is due to illicit drugs. Serious and organised crime groups profit from the importation, manufacture, trafficking and sale of drugs that cause harm to the community.

The National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program (the Program) continues to evolve. Work continues to consolidate the ACIC’s collaboration with international partners in New Zealand, Asia, North America and Europe. 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. Illicit drugs and licit drugs with abuse potential are inherently harmful. Reliable drug consumption data are a key indicator of the level of harm experienced by the community, because logically the level of harm to the community is a function of the quantity of the substance that is consumed. Understanding drug consumption at a population level supports effective allocation of resources to priority areas. It also allows the progress of demand, supply and harm reduction strategies to be monitored.