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Guide · Agent skill

How to use the California Wastewater Tracker agent skill

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

WastewaterCA is an agent skill that lets an AI assistant pull California sewage data for COVID-19, influenza, RSV and other pathogens from public CDC and state health department datasets. This guide explains what a skill is, how to install WastewaterCA, how to ask for data in plain words, and what it needs and what it cannot tell you. After following it, you should be able to get a sourced California wastewater update from your agent.

California Wastewater Trackerdanielmiessler/LifeOS · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Download the ZIP. Get the WastewaterCA ZIP from the directory page.
  2. 2Unzip into a skills folder. Place the WastewaterCA folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
  3. 3Install Bun. Install the Bun runtime using Bun's official instructions, since the script needs it.
  4. 4Run the config check. Run bun ~/.claude/skills/WastewaterCA/Tools/Wastewater.ts config to confirm the skill runs and see what it resolves to.
  5. 5Optionally add a region. Create Config.md in the LifeOS customizations path with a region, county Name FIPS pairs, and an optional rpho region.
  6. 6Ask in plain words. Ask your agent something like what are the COVID numbers before my trip, and check that the answer names the pathogen, place and data date.

What WastewaterCA makes the agent do

WastewaterCA gives the agent a set of instructions and a script for one job: reporting pathogen levels in California wastewater. Each time you ask, the agent runs the script, which reads two public sources: CDC's National Wastewater Surveillance System, which gives each treatment plant a viral activity level for SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A and RSV, and the California Department of Public Health's sample-level data, which covers every pathogen CDPH tests for.

The skill has two intents. GetCovidData reports CDC's activity level per site and the week-over-week trend for COVID. GetWastewaterData gives a multi-pathogen panel with one row per pathogen. Answers cover California statewide, or one configured region of counties.

  • Pathogens named in the source include SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A and B, RSV, Mpox, Norovirus, H5 and Candida auris.
  • Wastewater typically leads clinical case counts by about 4 to 7 days.
  • Every answer should name the pathogen, the geography, and the latest data date.

Install the skill from the ZIP

Download the WastewaterCA ZIP from the directory page. Then choose one of the two install routes below. A skill is a folder of instructions and scripts that an agent loads when a request matches it.

For a personal install, unzip the folder into ~/.claude/skills/ so that the result is ~/.claude/skills/WastewaterCA/. For a single project, unzip it into that project's .claude/skills/ folder instead. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload the skill under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.

  • Personal: ~/.claude/skills/WastewaterCA/
  • Project: the .claude/skills/ folder inside your project
  • Claude apps: Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, then upload

Install Bun and check the skill runs

The skill's script, Tools/Wastewater.ts, needs the Bun runtime. The source does not give Bun installation steps, so use Bun's official documentation for that part. Once Bun is available, run the config command from the skill folder's parent path. It prints what a run resolves to, and it is the simplest check that the skill is wired up.

The Setup.md file in the skill folder describes this proof command. If the command prints a configuration, the script is working.

bun ~/.claude/skills/WastewaterCA/Tools/Wastewater.ts config

Optional: set a county region

With no configuration, WastewaterCA reports California statewide and says so. To get a local view as well, create a Config.md file in ~/.claude/LIFEOS/USER/CUSTOMIZATIONS/SKILLS/WastewaterCA/. The path can be overridden by the file named in the WASTEWATER_CONFIG setting.

The file holds a region line, a counties line with each county as a Name FIPS pair, and an optional rpho region line for the clinical layer. County FIPS codes must start with 06 for California. A county entry without a valid code stops the run with exit code 2, so the tool never quietly falls back to statewide.

  • - region: sets the name shown in answers
  • - counties: Name FIPS pairs, such as a county name followed by a 06xxx code
  • - rpho region: optional, for the clinical dashboard rows

Ask for data in plain words

You do not need to type commands. The skill triggers on phrases such as wastewater, California COVID, COVID levels near me, flu data, RSV and pathogen tracking. If your request is ambiguous and mentions COVID, the agent uses GetCovidData by default. Requests about flu, RSV, norovirus or several pathogens route to the panel.

A good answer names the pathogen, the place covered, the latest data date, and CDC's activity level with its direction. Ask a follow-up if you want the other pathogens or the statewide figure.

  • What are the COVID numbers before my trip?
  • How are flu and RSV looking in wastewater?
  • Is flu actually up around here?

Safety notes: scripts and network access

WastewaterCA runs a script and makes network requests. It reads public APIs at CDC and CHHS Open Data, and the source says it writes nothing and needs no account, API key or local dataset. Because it runs code on your machine, install skills only from sources you trust and read the files before running them.

The skill is population-level data. It cannot say whether you are infected, and it should not replace medical advice or a clinical test.

  • Runs scripts: yes, via Bun
  • Uses network: yes, to CDC and CHHS Open Data
  • No account, key or local dataset required
  • Not for diagnosis or individual decisions

What people use it for

  • Checking current COVID wastewater levels before travel or an event
  • Comparing your county's respiratory virus trend with the statewide picture
  • Reviewing a multi-pathogen panel for flu, RSV and norovirus over the past year
  • Tracking California pathogen surveillance over time for reporting or analysis

Frequently asked questions

What is an agent skill?

An agent skill is a folder of instructions and scripts that an AI agent loads when a request matches the skill's description. WastewaterCA is one such skill; it adds California wastewater lookups to an agent that supports skills.

Is the WastewaterCA skill free?

The source lists the skill as MIT licensed, which governs how you may use and share the code. It does not list any price, and the source says the tool reads public APIs and needs no account or key.

What do I need to run WastewaterCA?

You need the Bun runtime to run Tools/Wastewater.ts and internet access to the CDC and CHHS Open Data APIs. A Config.md file is optional and only needed if you want a county region.

Does WastewaterCA work outside California?

No. The skill is limited to California and will not report national or other state data. Use a national or state source for other locations.

Why is the data a few days old?

Both sources publish on their own government schedules, so the latest figures are typically days to a week old. The skill pulls the newest available data each run, and every answer should show the data date.

What should I do if the county setting fails?

A county line without a valid 06xxx FIPS code stops the run with exit code 2. Check that each county in Config.md is written as a Name FIPS pair with a California code, then run the config command again.

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Our verdict

WastewaterCA suits Californians who want a sourced, local-leaning view of COVID, flu or RSV levels before travel or events, and people analysing California surveillance over time. It is not suitable for diagnosis, for individual medical decisions, or for places outside California, so choose a national or state source for those needs.

Download the skill