The Maryland Department of the Environment is using a unique way to help prevent future outbreaks of the coronavirus.|| Coronavirus updates | Maryland's latest numbers | Get tested | Vaccine Info ||Agents are testing for the virus in wastewater at various public housing facilities in Baltimore as part of a statewide initiative.Workers from the environmental services company Inspection Experts were at Westport Homes on Thursday, sending an automated composite sample unit down a manhole to collect wastewater in hopes of seeing if there is evidence of COVID-19."The location was selected by the Baltimore Housing Authority primarily because it’s an isolated wastewater stream that specific for this community, and then we install the sample unit based on that location," said Rushan Abayagunawardena, vice president of environmental services at Inspection Experts.The unit remains below ground for 24 hours. Then, the samples are taken to a Maryland lab for analysis.Maryland Environmental Secretary Ben Grumbles told 11 News that testing wastewater could help prevent potential outbreaks of COVID-19 in vulnerable communities and congregate housing areas."This is all about early warning signs, trying to be a sentinel in advance of information we would get through the traditional testing and clinical testing. So this is all about getting a jumpstart," Grumbles said.If agents see a rise in the disease in the wastewater, MDE can take steps such as additional clinical testing to prevent a surge or outbreak."We can see if the presence of COVID-19 is on the rise based on the previous weeks' testing. Then, we can get a good jumpstart on that," Grumbles said.Sampling is underway at nine different housing facilities across Baltimore, and MDE recently added prisons to the list.MDE COVID-19 Update websiteSewer Sentinel Initiative Dashboard (map)