A newly released Freedom of Information response has confirmed that wastewater drug monitoring is no longer active anywhere in Scotland. The Home Office withdrew funding for the country’s testing sites late last year, and no replacement has been found.

The response was issued under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. It states plainly that the Scottish Government is not undertaking, supporting or funding any wastewater monitoring or wastewater based epidemiology linked to illicit drugs. Officials also confirmed they are not aware of any wastewater testing for illicit drugs currently operating in the country.

Home Office Pulls the Plug on WAND

The gap traces back to a programme called Wastewater Analysis for Narcotics Detection, known as WAND. Indeed, it had been running at sites across Scotland for several years. WAND was, in the words of the FOI response, a fully Home Office funded programme. The Scottish Government never contributed to its running costs. In late 2025, the Home Office decided to withdraw that funding from the Scottish sites, citing budget constraints.

Scottish Ministers Decline to Step In

Scottish ministers were then approached about stepping in. Officials asked whether Scotland would fund the sites itself and keep the programme going. Ministers chose not to. The Government determined that taking over funding for wastewater drug monitoring would not provide significant added value. That decision effectively ended the practice north of the border, at least for now.

Why the Gap Matters

The gap leaves a notable evidence blind spot. Wastewater based epidemiology works by sampling sewage to estimate drug use patterns across a population. It offers a snapshot of what substances are circulating in a community, without relying only on self reported surveys or clinical records. Researchers have long argued that this kind of monitoring can flag emerging drug trends early. It can do so well before those trends surface in overdose statistics or treatment data.

Notably, interest in the approach has not disappeared, even though active testing has. Scottish Water worked with Public Health Scotland to commission a review from the Centre of Expertise for Waters, known as CREW. That review examined the feasibility of applying wastewater monitoring to psychoactive substances across Scotland. Separately, Public Health Scotland also advised the National Drug Deaths Incident Management Team on the potential to take such work forward. Both efforts suggest an ongoing recognition, at least at an advisory level, that wastewater drug monitoring still has a role to play.

The FOI response was not fully comprehensive. Some material was withheld under exemptions in the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act. These protect the free and frank provision of advice to ministers and safeguard personal data belonging to third parties. Officials also noted that some material could not be released because it was received in confidence from the UK Government. Any further request on that portion would need to go directly to the Home Office.

What Comes Next for Wastewater Testing

The episode illustrates a familiar tension in drug policy. Supporters often describe wastewater drug monitoring as a low cost, population level tool. It is meant to complement other surveillance methods, not replace them. Yet its continuation in Scotland depended entirely on funding decided in Whitehall rather than Holyrood. Once that funding stopped, so did the testing, regardless of any feasibility work already under way.

Whether wastewater based epidemiology returns to Scotland will likely depend on future funding rather than technical feasibility. The CREW review and the advice given to the National Drug Deaths Incident Management Team suggest the groundwork for a renewed programme already exists. What is missing, for now, is simply a funder willing to keep the taps running.

Source: dbrecoveryresources