Approved by the Energy, Environment and Water Policy Committee on December 16, 2025 
Approved by the Public Policy and Practice Committee on March 20, 2026
Adopted by the Board of Direction on July 21, 2026

Policy

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) supports and encourages maintaining well-regulated options for biosolids management. This encompasses:

  • The beneficial reuse of municipal wastewater biosolids of acceptable quality.
  • The construction and expansion of municipal wastewater bioenergy facilities for the generation of renewable energy and higher quality end products.
  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) continued development and implementation of risk based biosolids-quality standards for known contaminants and contaminants of emerging concern to protect the public health and the environment.
  • Amending the EPA Part 503 rule to more fully assure that only biosolids of exceptional quality, in terms of both pathogen and chemical, are marketed to the general public.
  • The continuing use of biosolids products in a sustainable manner. 

Issue

Effective treatment of municipal wastewater which generates biosolids as a byproduct, is necessary for public health and safety. Properly treated, biosolids can meet today’s U.S EPA standards (40 CFR Part 503) resulting in an end product that can be beneficially used in the environment via land application and as a source of renewable energy through biogas development. 

The EPA estimates that approximately 7 million tons of biosolids (45 million cubic yards) are generated annually by the more than 16,000 municipal wastewater treatment facilities nationwide. Of that total, about 60 percent of the biosolids are managed through land application, composting, or use as a landfill cover; 22 percent are incinerated; and the remaining 18 percent are disposed of in landfills. The rapid growth in the capture, treatment, and reuse of biogas for a variety of applications has been noteworthy with more than 1,200 treatment facilities in the U.S. currently doing so.

Concerns about and challenges to these methods are increasing. More stringent air quality standards have caused some incinerators to cease operation. Permitting requirements and local opposition hamper the development of new landfills or the expansion of existing ones. There are potential public health issues associated with the beneficial reuse of biosolids that contain contaminants of emerging concern such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). In the absence of definitive federal standards regulating PFAS, some states have established their own monitoring rules and contaminant limits, and some have enacted or proposed an outright ban on land application of biosolids containing PFAS.

Rationale

Due to disposal and contaminant concerns and challenges, attention to and investment in biosolids management is expected to increase dramatically. A recent research study by Bluefield Research forecasted that biosolids disposal spending by municipal wastewater utilities will double over the next decade. ASCE members are integrally involved in the planning, design, construction, and operation of wastewater collection and treatment facilities including biosolids management processes and provide the technical and scientific expertise to deliver optimal, cost-effective, and regulatory compliant solutions.

ASCE Policy Statement 429 
First Approved in 1994