The research program will be the first of its kind, and it will involve collecting samples from Wagga sewage plants in search of COVID "fragments" left behind in human poo.

The program has already launched in Albury and the Perisher ski fields, where COVID fragments were in fact detected in the sewage.

Murrumbidgee Local Health District senior environmental health officer Tony Burns said the study would help health workers better manage the unfolding crisis.

"It's a research program that will hopefully give us better guidance in case detection and further followup as part of the outbreak if we do have it," Mr Burns said.

"We will be letting the public know if we do have positive results, so that we need then to do further case testing in the area.

IN OTHER NEWS:

However Mr Burns said a positive result does not necessarily mean there is an active COVID-19 infection in Wagga, since fragment shedding can extend beyond the infectious period.

He said a positive result could also simply be from a visitor passing through the town or from an asymptomatic carrier.

Nevertheless NSW Health said the study will be a useful tool to know which areas should be more closely monitored, should the need arise.

"This additional source of information can, and has, been used to drive testing or enhanced contact tracing," a NSW Health spokesman said.

"A positive SARS-CoV-2 sewage result can potentially provide an early warning of possible virus introduction in areas where transmission had not previously been detected."

Currently the program is only being carried out in 17 locations, however NSW Health have signalled they could roll out the program further depending on public health needs.