Biosolids Management Costs Set to Rise for Wastewater Utilities Over the Coming Decade, According to Market Report

    According to a market report by Bluefield Research, U.S. municipal wastewater utilities are facing growing costs for biosolids management. They estimate that US$36.4 billion will be needed over the next decade, nearly double current costs. Biosolids management is being affected by the closing of older incinerators, landfill capacity constraints, and PFAS contamination management. These all make biosolids management more expensive.

“According to a new Insight Report, U.S. Municipal Biosolids Management: Drivers, Trends, and Forecasts, 2025–2035, total U.S. municipal biosolids management spending will surge, growing from US$2.5 billion in 2025 to more than US$4.8 billion annually by 2035.”

     Cities, towns, and wastewater utilities will bear the costs.

     According to Smart Water Magazine:

“…more than 23,900 treatment plants across the country process wastewater effluent for approximately 267 million people. In doing so, they generate about 6.3 million dry metric tons of biosolids each year—a nutrient-rich byproduct that has long been applied to farmland, converted into fertilizers, incinerated, or sent to landfills.”

     Incinerators are closing due to stricter air quality rules. Community opposition and permitting obstacles are slowing landfill expansions. Concerns about concentrated PFAS contamination in biosolids are also slowing land application for fertilizer use.

“Many municipal wastewater utilities, particularly in urban areas, are finding that their preferred low-cost disposal methods are increasingly becoming less available or just simply more expensive,” says Pat Byrne, an analyst at Bluefield Research. “As a result, utilities are investing in more affordable methods and technologies like drying and dewatering, while also giving greater consideration of advanced destruction systems.”

     Bluefield forecasts that the Northeast will account for US$13.6 billion, more than one-third of total U.S. municipal biosolids spending over the next decade. Landfill tipping fees have been increasing in the Southeast amid continued population growth. This will drive spending to US$9.8 billion, or 27% of the national total. Land application remains more accessible across the Midwest and West. However, logistical challenges and growing local opposition may change that. The graphic below shows that landfilling will remain the most common method. It also shows regional differences in strategies expected over the next decade.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach,” Byrne notes. “Utilities are making decisions based on local capacity, alternative costs, and community sentiment—all key factors in driving regional differences in how biosolids are managed across the country.”

     Some states are banning land application of biosolids. Maine enacted the first ban in 2022. New monitoring rules and contaminant thresholds are also being developed. The EPA’s recent designation of PFOS and PFOA as hazardous substances also presents liabilities for those who choose land application.

“Rising biosolids hauling costs and limited local disposal capacity are pushing utilities to invest in dewatering and drying technologies aimed at reducing biosolids volume and moisture before disposal.”

     Other innovations include advanced destruction and thermal processing systems.

“There’s a growing opportunity for companies that can help utilities adapt to these shifting market dynamics,” Byrne explains. “Whether through advanced destruction technologies or improved operational models, utilities are looking for partners that can deliver sustainable, cost-effective solutions for biosolids management.”

  

References:

 

U.S. utilities face $4.8 billion biosolids challenge amid rising costs. Bluefield Research. Smart Water Magazine. 5 December 2025. U.S. utilities face $4.8 billion biosolids challenge amid rising costs – Smart Water Magazine