Municipal biosolids management in the U.S. sits at an inflection point. In recent decades, utilities have increasingly turned to beneficial reuse through agricultural land application, compost, and other land-based uses. Beyond providing a relatively simple and low-cost management pathway, beneficial reuse supports utility sustainability goals by locally recycling nutrients and organic matter rather than treating biosolids solely as waste.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are challenging this model. Conventional wastewater treatment does not fully remove or destroy these compounds, allowing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances to pass through treatment and, in some cases, concentrate in biosolids that are subsequently applied to land. The scale and long-term effects of these releases on human health, food supplies, and ecosystems remain uncertain. But growing public awareness, restrictions on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in consumer products, and stringent drinking water standards are increasing scrutiny of biosolids management.

Without clear federal standards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in biosolids, states are moving ahead with their own, varied, regulatory approaches. While these efforts generally follow common themes, differences in testing requirements, concentration thresholds, and land-application restrictions are creating an increasingly complex regulatory patchwork for utilities and biosolids managers to navigate.

This Insight Report examines the structure and market effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances-related regulations and associated trends that are reshaping municipal biosolids management in the U.S.