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The short answer
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If you sell software to mid-market SaaS companies, ZoomInfo and Apollo are excellent. If you sell treatment technology, equipment, or services to wastewater facilities, they will frustrate you — not because they are bad products, but because their unit of data is the company, and your unit of opportunity is the facility.
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A municipality is one "company" in a generic database. It might operate four treatment plants with completely different technologies, permit situations, and upgrade budgets. The thing that tells you whether there is a deal — an aging lagoon, a string of NPDES violations, a funded capital improvement project — simply is not a field that generic databases collect.
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What ZoomInfo and Apollo do well
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Credit where it is due. The generic platforms are strong at:
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<UnorderedList pl={6} mb={4}>
    <ListItem>Breadth: tens of millions of companies and contacts across every industry</ListItem>
    <ListItem>Contact data: direct dials, verified emails, job-change alerts</ListItem>
    <ListItem>Workflow: built-in sequencing, dialers, CRM sync, intent signals</ListItem>
    <ListItem>Price flexibility: Apollo in particular has accessible entry tiers</ListItem>
</UnorderedList>

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If your wastewater go-to-market is purely "find people with a certain job title at utilities and email them," a generic tool will get you names. The problem is what happens next.
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Where they fall short for wastewater
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Wastewater sales teams using generic databases typically hit four walls:
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    <ListItem><strong>No facility mapping.</strong> You cannot search for "activated sludge plants above 5 MGD" or "lagoon systems in the Midwest" — the concept of a treatment facility does not exist in the data model.</ListItem>
    <ListItem><strong>No operational data.</strong> Treatment technology, design flow, discharge permits, compliance history, digesters, sludge handling — none of it is there. Yet this is exactly what qualifies or disqualifies a prospect for your solution.</ListItem>
    <ListItem><strong>No buying triggers.</strong> A facility entering serial non-compliance, a permit renewal, or a funded CIP project is what creates urgency in this industry. Generic intent data (someone read an article about "water treatment") is far weaker.</ListItem>
    <ListItem><strong>Manual qualification remains.</strong> Your team still spends hours cross-referencing EPA ECHO, state databases, Google Maps, and city budget PDFs to figure out whether each lead is real. The most expensive part of prospecting is untouched.</ListItem>
</UnorderedList>

<Heading as="h2" id="what-klarifi-does-differently" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
What Klarifi does differently
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Klarifi was built facility-first. We take the publicly available data from environmental protection agencies like the US EPA, clean it, and enrich it with aerial imagery analysis and validated contact details — so you can search 200,000+ wastewater facilities by the things that actually define your target market:
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    <ListItem>Treatment technology (activated sludge, lagoons, digesters, membranes, and more)</ListItem>
    <ListItem>Facility size and discharge volumes</ListItem>
    <ListItem>Compliance and violation history, updated weekly for NPDES facilities</ListItem>
    <ListItem>City budgets and capital improvement plans (CIPs)</ListItem>
    <ListItem>Validated contacts at the facility and decision-maker level</ListItem>
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The result is that qualification happens in the search itself. One of our customers, Arvia Technology, ran a campaign built on Klarifi data that produced eight opportunities and four sales.
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What about the industry-specific tools?
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The generic databases are not the only alternative. Three industry players come up regularly in our conversations, and each is genuinely good at what it was built for — which is not the same thing Klarifi was built for.
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    <ListItem><strong>Industrial Info Resources (IIR)</strong> tracks industrial capital and maintenance projects globally, including thousands of wastewater-related projects at industrial plants. If you sell into large industrial capital projects across many sectors, IIR's project database is a serious tool. It is project-first and enterprise-priced; it is not built for systematically prospecting municipal treatment facilities by technology and compliance situation.</ListItem>
    <ListItem><strong>Global Water Intelligence (GWI)</strong> is the reference for water-market research: market sizing, forecasts, competitive analysis, and global project trackers. GWI answers strategy questions — "how big is this market, where is it growing" — brilliantly. It is not a prospecting database with facility-level operational detail and validated contacts for your SDRs to work through.</ListItem>
    <ListItem><strong>Citylitics</strong> is the closest comparison: it mines public documents (capital improvement plans, budgets, meeting minutes) to surface early-stage infrastructure project signals across water, wastewater, and other public infrastructure. If your sales motion is pursuing funded capital projects 1–5 years out, it is a strong fit. Klarifi starts from the facility instead of the project: what technology runs there, how it is performing against its permit, who operates it — the signals that matter when your solution addresses an operational problem rather than a budgeted construction project. Klarifi also goes one step further down the funnel: we can run the outreach itself.</ListItem>
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In short: IIR for industrial capital projects, GWI for market strategy, Citylitics for public infrastructure project pursuit — and Klarifi when you need to find, qualify, and actually engage wastewater facilities as customers.
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Side-by-side comparison
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    <ListItem><strong>Wastewater facility mapping</strong> — Klarifi: yes. ZoomInfo/Apollo: no.</ListItem>
    <ListItem><strong>Facility-level operational data</strong> (technology, flow, permits) — Klarifi: yes. ZoomInfo/Apollo: no.</ListItem>
    <ListItem><strong>Compliance history and buying triggers</strong> — Klarifi: yes, updated weekly for NPDES facilities. ZoomInfo/Apollo: no.</ListItem>
    <ListItem><strong>Contact details</strong> — Klarifi: yes, validated twice a year, facility-linked. ZoomInfo/Apollo: yes, broad coverage.</ListItem>
    <ListItem><strong>Prospect qualification</strong> — Klarifi: built into the search. ZoomInfo/Apollo: manual, outside the tool.</ListItem>
    <ListItem><strong>Outreach execution</strong> — Klarifi: campaigns module, plus the done-for-you Klarifi Plus tier covering LinkedIn, email, and phone calls on your behalf. ZoomInfo/Apollo: strong native sequencing, but you run it yourself.</ListItem>
    <ListItem><strong>Industries covered</strong> — Klarifi: wastewater, deeply. ZoomInfo/Apollo: everything, shallowly.</ListItem>
</UnorderedList>

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Can you combine them?
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Absolutely — and some teams should. A sensible split: use Klarifi to decide <strong>who</strong> to target (facilities whose technology, size, and compliance situation match your solution) and use your existing CRM or sales engagement tool to manage <strong>how</strong> you engage them. If you would rather not run the engine room at all, <a href="https://klarifi.io/blog/introducing-klarifi-plus-from-data-to-deals" style={{ color: 'blue' }}>Klarifi Plus</a> handles prospecting, campaign drafting, and outreach for you — LinkedIn, email, and phone calls, all in your name — and you take over when a prospect responds. In effect, we become your external wastewater sales specialist, without the overhead cost of building the function in-house.
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How to choose
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<UnorderedList pl={6} mb={4}>
    <ListItem>If wastewater is a side market for you and you mostly need email addresses: a generic database is fine.</ListItem>
    <ListItem>If wastewater facilities are your core market and qualification eats your team's week: you need facility-level data, and that is Klarifi.</ListItem>
    <ListItem>If you want pipeline without hiring an outbound team: look at Klarifi Plus — an external wastewater sales specialist that prospects, writes, emails, and calls on your behalf.</ListItem>
</UnorderedList>

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The fastest way to judge is to look at your own territory. Start a free trial and search for the facilities you already know — then look at the ones you didn't.
</Text>

<BlogFAQ />

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</Box>


ZoomInfo and Apollo are powerful generic B2B databases — but they model companies, not facilities. Here is an honest comparison of what each tool can and cannot do when your customers are wastewater treatment plants, including how industry tools like Industrial Info Resources, Global Water Intelligence, and Citylitics fit in.

ZoomInfo and Apollo model companies, not facilities. An honest comparison of what each can do when your customers are wastewater treatment plants.

Klarifi vs ZoomInfo vs Apollo for wastewater sales

The short answer

What ZoomInfo and Apollo do well

Where they fall short for wastewater

What Klarifi does differently

What about the industry-specific tools?

Side-by-side comparison

Can you combine them?

How to choose

Klarifi vs ZoomInfo vs Apollo: lead generation for the wastewater industry


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Introducing Klarifi Plus: from data to deals
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Today, we’re launching Klarifi Plus — a new serviced tier that turns wastewater market intelligence into targeted, consistent outreach. It’s designed for wastewater solution providers who want more conversations with the right facilities without adding sales headcount.
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For the past two years, Klarifi has helped wastewater solution providers find the right facilities, understand their challenges, and get in front of the right people.
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Our goal has always been to “do the messy data work so our clients can focus on sales”. Today, we are taking another big step in that direction with the launch of Klarifi Plus — a new serviced tier on top of the Klarifi wastewater market intelligence platform.
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Klarifi Plus combines our extensive wastewater facility database with hands-on execution. You focus on engaging with the right clients. We run the engine room.
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Why we built Klarifi Plus
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Wastewater solution providers tell us the same thing again and again: they see the value in targeted, high-quality data — but don’t always have the time or capacity to turn that data into consistent outreach.
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Across hundreds of conversations, a pattern became obvious:
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- Teams know who they want to target, but don’t have the hours to work the data every week.
- Outbound tools exist, but most teams don’t have the time to set them up or maintain them.
- Some growth opportunities require custom datasets (e.g., industrial pretreatment, PFAS-linked facilities, air emissions data) — something most companies can’t source efficiently on their own.
- Even companies that love the Klarifi platform often say: “If we could just get someone to run this for us…”
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Klarifi Plus was built to close this gap.
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It combines Klarifi’s wastewater intelligence with the execution capacity that many teams simply don’t have.
The result: less time researching, more time talking to the right facilities.
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What Klarifi Plus includes
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Klarifi Plus adds a serviced execution layer on top of the Klarifi platform. Below is a quick overview of how the two tiers compare:
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  <img 
    src="/blog/assets/introducing-klarifi-plus-from-data-to-deals/klarifi-plus-feature-comparison.png" 
    alt="Feature overview: Klarifi Plus includes everything in Klarifi Standard, plus campaign execution, custom data mapping, monthly prospect delivery, and performance optimization."
  />
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    Feature overview: Klarifi Plus includes everything in Klarifi Standard, plus campaign execution, custom data mapping, monthly prospect delivery, and performance optimization.
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Here is what you get when adding Klarifi Plus to your Klarifi subscription:
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1\. Campaign execution (by the Klarifi team)
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We handle the heavy lifting: messaging setup, LinkedIn campaign execution, outreach, and reporting.
You get qualified conversations — not just data.
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2\. Monthly prospect identification & delivery
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Every month, we pinpoint new facilities and contacts that match your value proposition, technology focus, and target geography — using the Klarifi platform plus additional sources where relevant.
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3\. Custom data mapping
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Need to identify lagoon systems under 1 MGD?
Chrome platers with PFAS exposure?
Lift stations in specific regions?
We collect and integrate additional data layers using our AI crawlers and extraction tools.
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4\. LinkedIn campaign tools
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Run outreach campaigns directly from Klarifi. Automated outbound via LinkedIn, feeding straight into your CRM.
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5\. Performance monitoring & optimization
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A simple monthly dashboard plus a quarterly strategy session to review outcomes and refine targeting, timing, and messaging.
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How it works: You talk to clients. We run everything else.
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Klarifi Plus follows a simple division of labor: you own the conversation, we run the engine room.
You define your target group and USP; we map prospects, shortlist them, set up campaigns, and run the outreach — handing over each time a real conversation begins.
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This workflow keeps your team focused on client engagement while Klarifi handles the repetitive, data-heavy execution.
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  <img 
    src="/blog/assets/introducing-klarifi-plus-from-data-to-deals/klarifi-plus-responsibilities.png" 
    alt="The Klarifi Plus workflow: you define the target and messaging; Klarifi maps, shortlists, builds, and runs the campaigns — handing over once a conversation starts."
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    The Klarifi Plus workflow: you define the target and messaging; Klarifi maps, shortlists, builds, and runs the campaigns — handing over once a conversation starts.
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<Heading as="h2" id="how-klarifi-plus-adds-value" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
How Klarifi Plus adds value for wastewater solution providers
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Klarifi has always been about one thing: doing the cumbersome data work, so you can focus on engaging with clients. Klarifi Plus builds directly on that foundation — taking the same intelligence you already know and making it work harder for you.
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It gives your team the ability to:
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- Reach the right facilities without expanding your sales team
- Turn wastewater intelligence into real conversations, not just lists
- Act on new opportunities as soon as they appear (e.g., violations, budgets, permit changes)
- Target niche segments using custom data
- Stay consistent with outreach — every week, not just when time allows
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Klarifi Plus brings the full weight of our wastewater data, our mapping tools, and our execution capacity together in one workflow:
you focus on engaging with prospects; we keep the engine running.
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Klarifi Plus is available today
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We’re already onboarding the first companies through a soft launch, and early feedback is promising.
Now we’re opening it up more broadly.
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If you want to explore whether Klarifi Plus fits your team and your outreach goals, you can book a discovery call below.
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<a href="https://klarifi.io/book-demo" style={{ textDecoration: 'underline', color: '#0000FF' }}>👉 Book a Klarifi Plus call</a>
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Today, we’re launching Klarifi Plus — a new serviced tier that turns wastewater market intelligence into targeted, consistent outreach.

Why we built Klarifi Plus

What Klarifi Plus includes

How it works

How Klarifi Plus adds value

Klarifi Plus is available today

Introducing Klarifi Plus: from data to deals


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<Heading as="h2" id="wastewater-cip-projects" fontSize="4xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
Wastewater CIP Projects: A Comprehensive Guide
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Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) projects form the backbone of long-term infrastructure upgrades in the wastewater sector. From aging treatment plant expansions to modernizing control systems, CIP projects enable utilities to plan ahead for major investments while ensuring reliable service and regulatory compliance. In the United States and Canada, municipalities collectively plan hundreds of billions of dollars in water and wastewater improvements over multi-year horizons through their CIPs. By mapping out future projects, CIP programs help communities avoid reactive fixes to failing infrastructure and maximize the impact of each capital investment. This comprehensive guide dives into how wastewater CIP projects are structured and prioritized, what key project categories (like plant expansions, SCADA upgrades, and blower replacements) entail, and how wastewater professionals can effectively leverage these plans. 
Geared toward wastewater solution providers, the guide will help you find CIPs and capitalize on upcoming project opportunities.
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Quick Takeaways
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- CIPs are multi-year infrastructure plans: A Capital Improvement Plan maps out major capital expenditures (street, water, wastewater, public works etc.) over a 5–20 year horizon to prioritize and budget for critical upgrades.
- Key wastewater CIP project types: Typical CIP wastewater projects include treatment plant capacity expansions, sewer system rehabilitation, SCADA control system upgrades, and energy-efficient equipment replacements (e.g., new aeration blowers).
- Proactive planning avoids crises: CIP planning enables utilities to tackle aging infrastructure and compliance needs before failures occur, ensuring reliable service and meeting regulatory mandates.
- Funding comes from multiple sources: Successful CIP projects leverage diverse financing – municipal bonds, state/federal loans and grants (like State Revolving Fund; SRF programs), and pay-as-you-go capital from rate revenues. 
Indeed, CIPs are often used as input for applications for funding from SRFs and similar funding instruments.
- Insights for solution providers: Equipment suppliers and engineering firms can gain a competitive edge by tracking municipal CIPs to identify projects years in advance, building relationships before RFPs.
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<Heading as="h2" id="understanding-cips" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
Understanding Capital Improvement Plans
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A Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is a long-term planning document used by municipalities to map out major infrastructure projects and investments. In simple terms, it's a multi-year blueprint for building and upgrading public assets. CIPs typically cover a planning horizon of 5 to 20 years and outline all the significant capital projects a local government intends to undertake – from roads and public buildings to water and sewer system upgrades. For wastewater utilities, the CIP focuses on projects like treatment facility improvements, sewer network expansions or rehabilitations, and other large-scale upgrades needed to maintain service levels and meet future demand.
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In a CIP, each project entry usually includes key details such as scope and description, estimated costs, expected timing or construction schedule, and anticipated funding sources. The plan is often organized by categories (e.g. wastewater treatment plants, collection system, streets) and by priority or timeline. By compiling this information in one place, a CIP serves as a roadmap that guides utility managers and city officials in making strategic decisions about when and how to implement critical projects. It bridges the gap between a utility's long-term goals and the annual capital budget process – essentially turning broad strategy into a sequenced project pipeline.
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It's important to note that a CIP is a living document. Most cities update their CIPs on a regular cycle (often annually or biannually), revising project lists as conditions change or new needs emerge. For example, if a major sewer line fails or a new regulatory requirement arises, that project may be added to the plan or reprioritized. Conversely, completed projects are removed and future phases are added as time goes on. This dynamic nature means the CIP remains aligned with the wastewater system's evolving needs and the community's growth.
It also means that the details of near-term projects are more certain than those for longer-term projects. Ultimately, CIP projects give wastewater professionals a clear, long-range view of infrastructure needs – enabling proactive maintenance, efficient capital spending, and improved service reliability for the public.
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<Heading as="h2" id="why-cips-matter" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
Why CIP projects matter for wastewater utilities and solution providers
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For wastewater solution providers, developing a solid CIP is not just a bureaucratic exercise – it's fundamental to sustaining services and meeting the community's needs. Capital projects like plant upgrades or sewer replacements often cost millions and take years to implement. A CIP provides a framework to evaluate and prioritize these big-ticket projects against each other, so limited capital funds go to the most urgent and impactful needs first. This prevents a reactive "run to failure" approach. Instead of waiting for a major pump station to break down or a treatment plant to hit capacity overload, the utility can schedule upgrades in advance. The result is fewer emergency repairs, less unplanned downtime, and a more resilient wastewater system overall.
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CIP projects are also crucial for regulatory compliance and environmental protection. 
Wastewater utilities operate under strict regulations for treatment standards and sewer system performance. 
If a city's sewer overflows are violating the Clean Water Act or a treatment plant needs new processes to meet permit limits, 
those capital improvements must be planned and executed on a timetable. Incorporating such projects into the CIP ensures 
the utility stays on track with mandated upgrades. 
It's much easier to justify and secure funding for required projects when they're documented in an official plan. 
In fact, the magnitude of needs across the sector 
is enormous – <a href="https://www.epa.gov/archive/epa/newsreleases/epa-survey-shows-271-billion-needed-nations-wastewater-infrastructure.html#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20%2D%20The%20U.S.%20Environmental%20Protection,and%20methods%20for%20managing%20stormwater" style={{
        textDecoration: 'underline',
        textDecorationColor: '	#0000FF',
        color: "blue"
      }}>the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated in 2016 that over $270 billion was needed to modernize 
America's wastewater infrastructure</a>. Without a long-range plan, addressing even a fraction of that need would be daunting.
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Beyond keeping regulators and citizens happy, a well-managed CIP helps a utility make the case for funding. Elected officials and ratepayers can see the roadmap of improvements, understand why rate increases or bond issues might be necessary, and trust that money will be spent on vetted priorities. The CIP essentially communicates the value of investing in wastewater infrastructure – highlighting how projects will improve capacity, reliability, safety, and compliance. In short, CIP projects are vital for ensuring long-term sustainability and meeting the needs of growing communities.
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<Heading as="h2" id="planning-and-prioritization-in-cips" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
Planning and prioritization in CIPs
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The development of a wastewater CIP follows a deliberate process to ensure the right projects get done at the right time. It often begins with identifying needs through system assessments or master planning studies. Utility engineers evaluate the wastewater system's current performance and future demands – for example, projecting when a treatment plant will exceed capacity or which pipe networks are most prone to failure. From this, they compile a list of potential capital projects that could address the identified needs (e.g. add a new clarifier, replace a section of old sewer main, upgrade SCADA software, etc.).
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Once a project list is in hand, prioritization kicks in. Wastewater utilities typically use criteria to rank projects by urgency and importance. Key factors include the condition and risk of failure of existing assets, regulatory or safety requirements, environmental impact, capacity needs, and community growth projections. Many utilities employ an asset management approach – assigning each asset a risk score based on the likelihood of failure (how soon it might fail) and the consequence of failure (how severe the impacts would be) if it does. High-risk items (say, a major pump station at end-of-life that, if it fails, would overflow sewage into streets) rise to the top of the CIP priority list. Similarly, projects mandated by environmental regulators or needed to eliminate safety hazards are usually non-negotiable priorities.
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The prioritization process often involves financial planning staff as well. They examine funding availability and smooth out the spending plan. For instance, if the top ten projects all together cost more money than the utility can realistically finance in the next five years, 
some projects will be scheduled further out - or alternative funding has to be found. The CIP thus balances urgency with fiscal reality. Less critical projects might be deferred to later years to keep annual capital expenditures manageable. Some agencies use a tiered approach: grouping projects into "urgent/required," "mid-term," and "long-term" categories.
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<Heading as="h3" id="project-prioritization-factors" fontSize="xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.700">
Key prioritization factors
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- *Condition and risk of failure* of existing systems (e.g., aging pumps or old sewer lines).
- *Regulatory requirements* such as mandatory upgrades or treatment standard changes.
- *Environmental impacts* like the need for new stormwater management or nutrient removal systems.
- *Capacity needs* based on community growth projections or rising wastewater flows.
- *Emergency and safety* concerns, such as aging infrastructure prone to breaking or causing public hazards.
</Text>

<Heading as="h2" id="tackling-challenges-in-cips" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
Challenges in CIP Implementation
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Even with a well-crafted CIP and ample funding, wastewater capital projects face real-world hurdles. One major challenge is cost escalation – project estimates made years in advance can balloon by the time construction starts, due to inflation or scope changes. In recent times, spikes in materials and labor costs have put pressure on CIP budgets nationwide. Utilities sometimes find that their capital plan simply can't cover everything as originally hoped. For example, <a href="https://www.sfpuc.gov/sites/default/files/about-us/policies-reports/10yrCapBudget_FY2023-24_FY2032-33.pdf" style={{
        textDecoration: 'underline',
        textDecorationColor: '	#0000FF',
        color: "blue"
      }}> 
San Francisco had to cut over $1 billion from its 10-year wastewater CIP</a> by deferring lower-priority projects after a key treatment project's costs greatly exceeded initial estimates. Such adjustments are painful but necessary to keep the overall program affordable.
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<Heading as="h2" id="conclusion" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
Conclusion
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Capital improvement projects are the backbone of progress for wastewater systems in United States – they are how communities expand capacity, meet regulatory obligations, and adopt new technologies to better serve the public. As this guide has detailed, successful CIPs require forward-thinking planning, robust funding strategies, and diligent execution. The payoff for getting it right is measured in cleaner waterways, safer public health, and more efficient operations for the public, delivered as promised.
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Wastewater CIP projects are critical for planning and funding treatment plant expansions, system upgrades, and regulatory compliance. This guide for US & Canadian wastewater professionals covers CIP planning processes, key project types (plant expansions, SCADA upgrades, blower replacements), funding strategies, emerging trends, and ways to leverage CIP data for strategic advantage.

How wastewater capital improvement plans work: planning, typical projects such as plant expansions and SCADA upgrades, funding, and using CIP data to find work.

Wastewater CIP Projects: A Comprehensive Guide

Quick takeaways

Understanding Capital Improvement Plans

Why CIP projects matter for wastewater utilities and solution providers

Planning and prioritization in CIPs

Key prioritization factors

Challenges in CIP Implementation

Conclusion

A comprehensive guide to CIP projects


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Michigan is the state where wastewater data goes furthest. Since 2018 it has made every treatment plant with an industrial pretreatment programme hunt for the PFAS sources in its sewers, the plants' findings are on the public record, and its cities put detailed capital plans online. We have pulled those sources together for all 304 publicly owned treatment plants in the state. This article walks through what the data shows, starting with the question we get most: which PFAS limits actually apply.
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Two findings stand out. 53 of the 56 landfill and waste sites that were sampled, 38 of the 39 landfills among them, sent PFOS to the sewer above Michigan's 12 ng/L screening level. And the highest sample in the state, 46,000 ng/L at the metal finisher Lacks Industries in February 2023, was followed by samples in the hundreds to low thousands by that summer and by a single sample of 13.3 ng/L a year later. Both are covered in <a href="#pfas-sources">Where the PFAS comes from</a> and <a href="#is-it-working">Is source control working?</a>
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Michigan's wastewater system at a glance
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The <a href="/facilities/michigan">Michigan directory</a> holds 304 publicly owned treatment plants serving about 6.8 million residents. The 176 plants with reported flow treat 779 million gallons a day, and the system is extremely top-heavy: the <a href="/facilities/michigan/glwa-water-resource-recovery-facility-3604682511">Great Lakes Water Authority plant in Detroit</a> alone treats 349 MGD, 45% of the state's reported flow, and the ten largest plants treat 69%. Only 14 plants are above 10 MGD and 70 above 1 MGD.
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The other end of the scale is just as characteristic. 179 plants, 59% of the total, are lagoon systems, against 48% nationally. Most are small: where a flow is reported, the typical lagoon plant treats about 0.6 MGD. 96 plants have anaerobic digestion.
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The PFAS limits that apply in Michigan
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There is no single "PFAS limit for wastewater" in Michigan. Four sets of numbers matter, and they bite at different points of the system: surface water values, biosolids tiers, drinking water limits and the local limits in an industrial user's permit.
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Surface water quality values: the numbers behind permits and source control
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Michigan's Rule 57 water quality values protect rivers and lakes, and they are what the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) uses to regulate PFAS in wastewater. The human health values are the ones that matter, because they are far lower than the aquatic life values:
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<Table size="sm" variant="simple">
<Thead>
<Tr><Th>Compound</Th><Th isNumeric whiteSpace="normal">Drinking water source (ng/L)</Th><Th isNumeric whiteSpace="normal">Other surface water (ng/L)</Th><Th>Set</Th></Tr>
</Thead>
<Tbody>
<Tr><Td>PFOS</Td><Td isNumeric>11</Td><Td isNumeric>12</Td><Td>Unchanged in the 2022 review</Td></Tr>
<Tr><Td>PFOA</Td><Td isNumeric>66</Td><Td isNumeric>170</Td><Td whiteSpace="normal">Revised July 2022 (was 420 and 12,000)</Td></Tr>
<Tr><Td>PFHxS</Td><Td isNumeric>59</Td><Td isNumeric>210</Td><Td>New, October 2023</Td></Tr>
<Tr><Td>PFNA</Td><Td isNumeric>19</Td><Td isNumeric>30</Td><Td>New, October 2023</Td></Tr>
<Tr><Td>PFBS</Td><Td isNumeric>8,300</Td><Td isNumeric>670,000</Td><Td>New, July 2022</Td></Tr>
</Tbody>
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Source: EGLE, Rule 57 water quality values (human non-cancer values). 1 ng/L is one part per trillion.
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These values reach a treatment plant in two ways. A plant with a pretreatment programme, confirmed industrial sources and a reasonable potential to exceed a value can get it as an effluent limit in its next NPDES permit; in practice that means 12 ng/L PFOS, which EGLE calls the regulatory driver at most facilities. And the same 12 ng/L is the screening level for industrial users: EGLE's guidance is that a user whose discharge is above the water quality value of the receiving stream should be treated as a source. The value is not a discharge limit for the company, but it triggers follow-up sampling, a reduction plan and, where needed, pretreatment backed by a local limit.
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Biosolids: 20 and 100 parts per billion
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PFAS that enters a plant ends up in the effluent or the solids. EGLE's interim strategy for land application, in place since 2021 and tightened in 2022 and 2024, sets tiers on the PFOS and PFOA concentration in the finished biosolids:
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<Tr><Th>PFOS or PFOA in biosolids</Th><Th>What the plant has to do</Th></Tr>
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<Tr><Td>Below 20 ppb</Td><Td whiteSpace="normal">Land application allowed; tell the landowner or farmer the PFAS levels</Td></Tr>
<Tr><Td>20 to 100 ppb</Td><Td whiteSpace="normal">Application rate capped at 1.5 dry tons per acre (or another approved mitigation), sample the plant's discharge within 30 days, implement a source reduction plan</Td></Tr>
<Tr><Td>Above 100 ppb</Td><Td whiteSpace="normal">"Industrially impacted": land application prohibited, sample the discharge within 30 days, implement a source reduction plan</Td></Tr>
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Source: EGLE, Land Application of Biosolids Containing PFAS Interim Strategy (2024 update). Every plant that land applies has to test once a year; exceptional quality biosolids are tested quarterly and have to stay below 20 ppb.
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Drinking water: Michigan's seven limits and the federal four parts per trillion
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Drinking water limits do not apply to a wastewater plant, but they drive a large share of the PFAS money in city budgets. Michigan adopted maximum contaminant levels for seven PFAS in August 2020: PFNA 6 ppt, PFOA 8 ppt, PFOS 16 ppt, PFHxS 51 ppt, HFPO-DA (GenX) 370 ppt, PFBS 420 ppt and PFHxA 400,000 ppt. A challenge by 3M to the way the rules were adopted is still in the courts, and the limits have stayed in force while it runs.
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The federal rule of April 2024 is stricter for the two best-known compounds: 4.0 ppt each for PFOA and PFOS, with compliance due in April 2029. In May 2026 EPA proposed to let water systems apply for an extension to 2031, and in a separate proposal to withdraw its limits for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA and mixtures. Neither proposal was final when this was written. For Michigan systems the practical effect is that the state limits still apply to those compounds, and that PFOA and PFOS have to come down from 8 and 16 ppt to 4.
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Local limits for industrial users
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The limit an industrial user actually has to meet is the one in its permit from the receiving plant. EGLE has asked plants with confirmed sources to develop local limits for PFOS and PFOA. They differ from city to city, which is why the sampling data matters more than any statewide number.
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Where the PFAS comes from
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Since 2018 Michigan's IPP PFAS Initiative has required all 95 treatment plants with a pretreatment programme to find the industrial users that send PFOS and PFOA into their sewers, sample the probable sources and make confirmed sources cut their discharge. The plants file their sampling with EGLE. We have extracted 1,736 samples taken at 236 industrial users of 49 plants, nearly all from 2023 and 2024, and published the picture on the <a href="/pfas/michigan">Michigan PFAS page</a>.
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The headline: 133 of the 236 sampled users, 56%, had at least one sample above 12 ng/L PFOS. 66 were more than ten times above it and 15 more than a hundred times. 34 of the 49 plants receive wastewater from at least one such source; the Detroit plant has 35 of them and <a href="/facilities/michigan/city-of-grand-rapids-wastewater-treatment-plant-3604563945/pretreatment">Grand Rapids</a> 11. For the newer values, 39 users were above 170 ng/L PFOA, 29 above 30 ng/L PFNA and 26 above 210 ng/L PFHxS.
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By industry the pattern is sharp:
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<Table size="sm" variant="simple">
<Thead>
<Tr><Th>Industry</Th><Th isNumeric>Users sampled</Th><Th isNumeric>Above 12 ng/L PFOS</Th><Th isNumeric>Highest PFOS sample</Th></Tr>
</Thead>
<Tbody>
<Tr><Td>Landfills and waste management</Td><Td isNumeric>56</Td><Td isNumeric>53 (95%)</Td><Td isNumeric>7,330 ng/L</Td></Tr>
<Tr><Td>Metal finishing and plating</Td><Td isNumeric>46</Td><Td isNumeric>26 (57%)</Td><Td isNumeric>46,000 ng/L</Td></Tr>
<Tr><Td>Automotive, metal and equipment manufacturing</Td><Td isNumeric>33</Td><Td isNumeric>16 (48%)</Td><Td isNumeric>451 ng/L</Td></Tr>
<Tr><Td>Chemicals, plastics and petroleum</Td><Td isNumeric>15</Td><Td isNumeric>10 (67%)</Td><Td isNumeric>4,450 ng/L</Td></Tr>
<Tr><Td>Airports and military sites</Td><Td isNumeric>7</Td><Td isNumeric>7 (100%)</Td><Td isNumeric>1,900 ng/L</Td></Tr>
<Tr><Td>Laundries</Td><Td isNumeric>11</Td><Td isNumeric>2 (18%)</Td><Td isNumeric>21 ng/L</Td></Tr>
<Tr><Td>Hospitals and public institutions</Td><Td isNumeric>8</Td><Td isNumeric>0</Td><Td isNumeric>9.3 ng/L</Td></Tr>
</Tbody>
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</TableContainer>

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Source: PFAS sampling reports that treatment plants file with EGLE, extracted by Klarifi. Samples reported at the laboratory's reporting limit are not counted as detections. 12 ng/L is a screening level for industrial users, not a discharge limit.
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Landfill leachate is the most consistent source. 53 of the 56 landfill and waste sites sampled were above the level. 39 of them are landfills by name or industry code, and 38 of those were above it, 26 by more than ten times, because leachate carries decades of consumer and industrial waste. The other 17 are recyclers, liquid waste processors and other waste handlers, and 15 of them were above it too. Metal finishers produce the extremes. Chrome platers used PFOS-based fume suppressants until a federal ban took effect in 2015, and tanks, scrubbers and pipework keep releasing it years later. The highest sample in the data, 46,000 ng/L in February 2023, is from Lacks Industries' Barden plating plant in Kentwood, a chrome plater of plastic automotive parts that discharges to the Grand Rapids plant.
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Is source control working?
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79 industrial users were sampled in both 2023 and 2024, which allows a like-for-like comparison. The number above 12 ng/L fell from 60 to 52. Of the 44 users whose typical (median) sample was above the level in 2023, 29 came down in 2024, 12 at least halved, and 6 are now at or below 12 ng/L.
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The split between industries is the interesting part. Among metal finishers the median fell from 53 to 13 ng/L, and six of seven improved: a plater can clean out tanks, replace pipework and install granular activated carbon, and the numbers respond. Among landfills the median only moved from 140 to 88 ng/L, and just 16 of 27 came down. A landfill cannot switch its source off; its options are leachate treatment or a different disposal route.
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Lacks Industries shows what a source under follow-up looks like in the data. The plant was sampled about every two weeks in the first half of 2023, several samples a day. The highest sample of the day was 46,000 ng/L in February and 16,000 in March; from May to July it was between 350 and 2,310 ng/L. The most recent sample on file, from February 2024, was 13.3 ng/L. The plant is also on the state's list of PFAS sites: <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/pfasresponse/investigations/sites-aoi/kent-county/lacks-barden-plating-facility" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">EGLE's site page</a> describes a faulty sump in the plating area, found after stormwater sampling in 2021 and 2022, and says the sump and the fractured piping have since been replaced. One caution applies here and to every comparison in this section: the reports do not say where in a plant a sample was taken, and samples from the same day can differ a thousandfold, so a single low sample shows where one sampling point stood, not that the whole discharge has fallen that far.
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EGLE's own biosolids data points the same way. The median PFOS concentration in Michigan biosolids fell from 13 ppb in 2018 to 5 ppb in 2024, and of the 173 plants that tested in 2024 about one in nine was between 20 and 100 ppb, the tier that requires a source reduction plan.
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Permits and compliance
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PFAS is the headline, but the everyday compliance picture matters just as much for anyone selling into these plants. Three things stand out in the <a href="/npdes/michigan">Michigan NPDES permit data</a>.
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<ListItem mb={2}><strong>A large permit backlog.</strong> 136 of 304 permits, 45%, were past their expiry date in EPA's records on 18 September 2026, against 27% nationally. An expired permit normally stays in force while the renewal is processed, but every renewal is a moment when new requirements, including PFAS monitoring and limits, enter the permit. 43 more expire in 2027 and 62 in 2029.</ListItem>
<ListItem mb={2}><strong>Slightly better compliance than the country as a whole.</strong> 79% of Michigan plants had at least one violation in the last three years (82% nationally) and 66% had an effluent violation (76% nationally). The plants with the most violations are small systems such as South Range, Mackinac Island and Croswell, not the big city plants.</ListItem>
<ListItem mb={2}><strong>Very little federal enforcement.</strong> EPA's records list 45 formal cases against 31 Michigan plants, only 3 of them since fiscal year 2020, with $1.0 million in penalties in total. Michigan runs its own programme, so state actions by EGLE are not in these numbers. The detail is on the <a href="/facilities/michigan/enforcement">Michigan enforcement page</a>.</ListItem>
</UnorderedList>

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Where the money goes: $4.2 billion in capital plans
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We have extracted the water, sewer and wastewater line items from the capital improvement plans of 116 Michigan cities: 3,355 projects with a combined budget of $4.2 billion, shown city by city on the <a href="/cip/michigan">Michigan capital plans page</a>. Nearly half of it, $2.0 billion, was scheduled to start in 2025.
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<Thead>
<Tr><Th>Project type</Th><Th isNumeric>Line items</Th><Th isNumeric>Budget</Th></Tr>
</Thead>
<Tbody>
<Tr><Td>Water mains and distribution</Td><Td isNumeric>690</Td><Td isNumeric>$1,019M</Td></Tr>
<Tr><Td>Sewer rehabilitation and I&I</Td><Td isNumeric>482</Td><Td isNumeric>$497M</Td></Tr>
<Tr><Td>Water treatment plants</Td><Td isNumeric>90</Td><Td isNumeric>$249M</Td></Tr>
<Tr><Td>Biosolids, sludge and dewatering</Td><Td isNumeric>66</Td><Td isNumeric>$242M</Td></Tr>
<Tr><Td>Pump stations</Td><Td isNumeric>238</Td><Td isNumeric>$173M</Td></Tr>
<Tr><Td>Wastewater treatment plant upgrades</Td><Td isNumeric>85</Td><Td isNumeric>$169M</Td></Tr>
<Tr><Td>Lead service line replacement</Td><Td isNumeric>66</Td><Td isNumeric>$128M</Td></Tr>
</Tbody>
</Table>
</TableContainer>

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Source: capital improvement plans and adopted budgets published by Michigan cities, extracted by Klarifi. Budgets are as published and can change at adoption.
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Kalamazoo ($895 million) and Ann Arbor ($503 million) have the largest plans, followed by Battle Creek, Saginaw and Grand Rapids. Two things are worth noticing. Biosolids projects are worth more than plant upgrades, which fits a state where land application is getting harder. And the projects that carry "PFAS" in their name are drinking water projects, not wastewater ones: the largest is a $46 million water main extension in the Kalamazoo area (Richland and Ross townships). On the wastewater side, PFAS spending sits with the industrial users who have to install pretreatment, and with the plants whose biosolids lose their outlet.
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What it means for solution providers
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<ListItem mb={2}><strong>PFAS treatment demand in Michigan wastewater is industrial.</strong> The buyers are the 133 users above the screening level and the landfills in particular, where the numbers are not coming down. The receiving plant is the one applying the pressure, so it pays to know both.</ListItem>
<ListItem mb={2}><strong>Follow the permit calendar.</strong> With 45% of permits past expiry, a wave of renewals is due, and renewals are where PFAS monitoring, limits and compliance schedules arrive.</ListItem>
<ListItem mb={2}><strong>Biosolids are under pressure from both sides:</strong> tighter land application tiers and $242 million of planned dewatering and solids projects.</ListItem>
<ListItem mb={2}><strong>Do not forget the lagoons.</strong> Six in ten Michigan plants are lagoon systems, and they top the violation list.</ListItem>
</UnorderedList>

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All of it is open to browse: the <a href="/facilities/michigan">Michigan plant directory</a>, the <a href="/pfas/michigan">PFAS sources by plant</a>, the <a href="/cip/michigan">capital plans by city</a> and the <a href="/facilities/michigan/enforcement">enforcement record</a>. The full lists, sampling histories, source documents and contacts behind every plant and industrial user are available with a free Klarifi account. Michigan is the first state we have covered at this depth; others follow as their records are extracted.
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Michigan's 304 wastewater plants in data: the PFAS limits that apply, 133 industrial sources above them, permits, compliance and $4.2B in capital plans.

Michigan wastewater data and PFAS limits (2026)

Michigan's wastewater system at a glance

The PFAS limits that apply in Michigan

Where the PFAS comes from

Is source control working?

Permits and compliance

Where the money goes: $4.2 billion in capital plans

What it means for solution providers

Michigan wastewater in data: PFAS limits, sources and projects


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Definition
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A CIP (Capital Improvement Plan, also called a Capital Improvement Program) is a municipality's multi-year plan, usually covering five to ten years, that lists the infrastructure projects it intends to fund, with a budget, timing and funding source for each. For water and wastewater utilities the CIP is where treatment plant upgrades, sewer replacements and pump station projects first appear, often years before they go out to bid. Klarifi has structured more than 17,000 CIP line items from over 1,100 US cities. The acronym also means Carriage and Insurance Paid To (shipping), clean-in-place (process cleaning) and Customer Identification Program (banking); this guide covers the municipal budget document.
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<Heading as="h2" id="what-is-a-cip" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
What is a CIP?
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Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) are long-term budget planning documents used by US municipalities 
to outline capital expenditure and necessary infrastructure projects over
a multi-year period. These plans serve as blueprints for the future, guiding investments in essential services such as transportation, public safety, and municipal water and wastewater systems.
</Text>


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How to find future projects across CIPs
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<Text fontSize="md">
Klarifi's wastewater market intelligence platform empowers users to search for CapEx projects on a line-item basis across hundreds of US municipalities:
- Explore future budget allocations and infrastructure spending trends across U.S. cities 
- Search and filter thousands of planned capital projects at a line-item level
- Download verified contact information for municipal decision-makers and infrastructure stakeholders
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    The below interactive walkthrough can only be experienced on desktop. Please visit this page on a larger screen to see the full demonstration.
</Text>


<WalkthroughGuide
  steps={[
{
        image: '/guides/city-budgets/klarifi-city-budgets-step-one.webp',
        description: "Let's start by looking for upcoming projects in Michigan",
        hotspot: { x: 644, y: 183 },
        descriptionPosition: 'bottom',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/city-budgets/klarifi-city-budgets-step-two.webp',
        description: "Search for 'expansion' projects in Michigan",
        hotspot: { x: 230, y: 185 },
        descriptionPosition: 'bottom',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/city-budgets/klarifi-city-budgets-step-three.webp',
        description: 'Include project descriptions in the text search',
        hotspot: { x: 274, y: 151 },
        descriptionPosition: 'bottom',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/city-budgets/klarifi-city-budgets-step-four.webp',
        description:
            'Look only at projects expecting to begin in 2026 or later',
        hotspot: { x: 515, y: 245 },
        descriptionPosition: 'bottom',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/city-budgets/klarifi-city-budgets-step-five.webp',
        description: "Let's run the search",
        hotspot: { x: 950, y: 245 },
        descriptionPosition: 'bottom',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/city-budgets/klarifi-city-budgets-step-six.webp',
        description: 'See details by clicking on a specific project',
        hotspot: { x: 220, y: 380 },
        descriptionPosition: 'bottom',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/city-budgets/klarifi-city-budgets-step-seven.webp',
    },
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<Text fontSize="md" mb={4}>
This functionality allows wastewater solution providers to fine-tune their outreach strategy - empowering them to allocate sales and marketing efforts effectively.
</Text>

<Heading as="h2" id="how-to-get-structuered-cip-data" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
How Klarifi enhances and structures CIP data
</Heading>

<Text fontSize="md" mb={4}>
    Klarifi collects and processes CIP data through a robust blend of AI-powered automation and expert human validation. Our custom-built technology scans and retrieves the latest Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) and adopted municipal budgets from cities across the United States. Once identified, the documents are structured and verified using a hybrid process that combines artificial intelligence with manual data refinement to ensure accuracy and completeness. The result is a searchable, standardized CIP database - accessible directly through the City Budgets module. Try it below to explore infrastructure investments and funding priorities by city.
</Text>


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Why CIPs matter in water infrastructure
</Heading>

<Text fontSize="md" mb={4}>
In the realm of water management, CIPs are critical for ensuring that aging infrastructure is upgraded before failures occur. These plans help cities:
- Allocate funds for projects like pipeline replacements and wastewater treatment upgrades.
- Coordinate efforts across departments.
- Communicate long-term strategies to residents and stakeholders.
</Text>

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Klarifi makes it easy to explore structured CIP data from thousands of municipalities, offering a centralized platform to track, compare, and analyze spending trends across US cities.
</Text>


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CIPs and State Revolving Funds (SRFs)
</Heading>

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State Revolving Funds (SRFs) are a critical source of financing for water and wastewater infrastructure projects in the United States. Administered at the state level with federal funding support, SRFs provide low-interest loans to municipalities to help fund essential infrastructure upgrades.
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Large wastewater CapEx projects, such as WWTP expansion and sewer line rehab require significant up-front investment, which can be impossible to accommodate within year-to-year municipal budgets. Here, the SRFs serve as the state's tool for letting municipalities upgrade their infrastructure.
</Text>

<Text fontSize="md" mb={4}>
Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) play a crucial role in this process. Many cities must have an up-to-date, well-documented CIP to qualify for SRF financing. A strong CIP helps municipalities:
- *Demonstrate project readiness*: SRF programs often prioritize projects that are clearly defined, budgeted, and scheduled in official planning documents.
- *Justify funding needs*: Detailed project descriptions and cost estimates in a CIP strengthen a city's case for SRF assistance.
- *Coordinate funding strategies*: CIPs allow cities to align multiple funding sources—including SRFs, local bonds, and federal grants—within a cohesive infrastructure strategy.
</Text>

<Text fontSize="md" mb={4}>
For solution providers, understanding a municipality's CIP can offer early insight into which projects are likely candidates for SRF funding. Klarifi's City Budgets module helps users identify infrastructure projects at the planning stage, providing visibility into upcoming opportunities and funding strategies.
</Text>

<Heading as="h2" id="components-of-a-cip" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
Key components of a CIP
</Heading>

<Text fontSize="md" mb={4}>
A well-structured CIP typically includes:
- A project list with descriptions and justifications
- Estimated costs and funding sources
- A timeline for each phase
- Impact assessments
- Information about the engineering firm(s) advising the city
</Text>

<Heading as="h2" id="browse-cips" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
Browse capital improvement plans by state, city and project type
</Heading>

<Text fontSize="md" mb={4}>
Klarifi has extracted the water, sewer and wastewater line items from more than 1,200 published capital improvement plans and adopted budgets: 17,000+ projects worth about $108 billion across 580 cities in 47 states. All of it is public on the <a href="/cip">capital improvement plan pages</a>: a page per <a href="/cip/michigan">state</a>, a page per <a href="/cip/ohio/columbus">city</a> with its ten largest line items, budgets, years and a link to the source document, and a page per <a href="/cip/projects/pump-stations">project type</a>, from pump stations and lift stations to <a href="/cip/projects/scada-controls">SCADA</a>, <a href="/cip/projects/anaerobic-digesters">digesters</a>, <a href="/cip/projects/biosolids-dewatering">biosolids</a> and <a href="/cip/projects/pfas-treatment">PFAS treatment</a>. The full line-item list with descriptions and the decision-makers behind each project is in the Klarifi platform.
</Text>



<BlogFAQ />

</Box>

<BlogEndSection />


A CIP (capital improvement plan) is a city's multi-year infrastructure budget. What it contains, how water and sewer projects get funded, and how to find them.

What is a CIP?

How to find future projects across CIPs

How Klarifi enhances and structures CIP data

Why CIPs matter in water infrastructure

CIPs and State Revolving Funds (SRFs)

Key components of a CIP

Browse CIPs by state, city and project type

What is a CIP? Capital Improvement Plans explained


<Box as="article">

<Heading as="h2" fontSize={{ base: '2xl', md: '3xl' }} fontWeight="bold" color="gray.800">
Connect your gmail account to Klarifi Campaigns
</Heading>


<Text fontSize="md" mt={4} mb={6} color="gray.700">
This quick guide shows how to connect your Gmail account to Klarifi Campaigns using SMTP with a secure Google App Password. You’ll turn on 2‑Step Verification, generate an app password, and enter the correct server settings to send email reliably from <a href="https://campaign.klarifi.io" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style={{ textDecoration: 'none', borderBottom: '2px solid #3182ce' }}>campaign.klarifi.io</a>.
</Text>

<Heading as="h2" id="enable-2fa" fontSize="xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={3} color="gray.800">
Enable 2‑Step Verification (required)
</Heading>

<Text fontSize="md" mb={4}>
App Passwords are only available when 2‑Step Verification is enabled on your Google account. Turn it on first:
</Text>

<Box as="ol" pl={6} mb={6}>
  <li>
    Go to your Google Account security page: <a href="https://myaccount.google.com/security" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style={{ textDecoration: 'none', borderBottom: '2px solid #3182ce' }}>myaccount.google.com/security</a>
  </li>
  <li>
    Under "How you sign in to Google", open <strong>2‑Step Verification</strong>, and complete the setup and stay on the page.
  </li>
<Box my={6}>
  <Box position="relative" width="100%" height="auto">
    <Image
      src="/blog/assets/set-up-smtp-for-gmail-app-passwords/two-step-verification-google.png"
      alt="Google Account security page showing 2‑Step Verification"
      width={1920}
      height={1080}
      style={{ width: '100%', height: 'auto', objectFit: 'contain', backgroundColor: 'white' }}
      priority
    />
  </Box>
</Box>

  <li>
    Once enabled, you’ll see an option for <strong>App passwords</strong>.
  </li>

  <Box my={6}>
  <Box position="relative" width="100%" height="auto">
    <Image
      src="/blog/assets/set-up-smtp-for-gmail-app-passwords/app-password-google.png"
      alt="Google App passwords management screen"
      width={1920}
      height={1080}
      style={{ width: '100%', height: 'auto', objectFit: 'contain', backgroundColor: 'white' }}
    />
  </Box>
</Box>

</Box>





<Heading as="h2" id="create-app-password" fontSize="xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={3} color="gray.800">
Create a Gmail App Password
</Heading>

<Box as="ol" pl={6} mb={6}>
  <li>In the 2‑Step Verification page, click <strong>App passwords</strong>.</li>
  <li>Create a new app-specific password by typing a name for it below (e.g. "Klarifi")</li>
  <li>Click <strong>Create</strong>, then copy the 16‑character password (no spaces!). Keep it safe—you’ll paste it into your SMTP settings. When you copy the password, it may include spaces — make sure to remove them.</li>
</Box>

<Box my={6}>
  <Box position="relative" width="100%" height="auto">
    <Image
      src="/blog/assets/set-up-smtp-for-gmail-app-passwords/generated-app-password.png"
      alt="Generated Google app password example"
      width={1920}
      height={1080}
      style={{ width: '100%', height: 'auto', objectFit: 'contain', backgroundColor: 'white' }}
    />
  </Box>
</Box>

<Heading as="h2" id="smtp-settings" fontSize="xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={3} color="gray.800">
Add your SMTP settings
</Heading>

<Text fontSize="md" mb={3}>
Use the following values when configuring your email sender in campaign.klarifi.io:
</Text>

<Box as="table" width="100%" borderWidth="1px" borderRadius="md" overflow="hidden" mb={6}>
  <Box as="thead" bg="gray.50">
    <Box as="tr">
      <Box as="th" p={3} textAlign="left">Field</Box>
      <Box as="th" p={3} textAlign="left">Gmail value</Box>
      <Box as="th" p={3} textAlign="left">Notes</Box>
    </Box>
  </Box>
  <Box as="tbody">
    <Box as="tr" borderTopWidth="1px">
      <Box as="td" p={3}>SMTP Server</Box>
      <Box as="td" p={3}><code>smtp.gmail.com</code></Box>
      <Box as="td" p={3}>Gmail SMTP host</Box>
    </Box>
    <Box as="tr" borderTopWidth="1px">
      <Box as="td" p={3}>SMTP Username</Box>
      <Box as="td" p={3}>Your full email address</Box>
      <Box as="td" p={3}>Example: <code>martin@klarifi.io</code></Box>
    </Box>
    <Box as="tr" borderTopWidth="1px">
      <Box as="td" p={3}>SMTP Password</Box>
      <Box as="td" p={3}>Your 16‑character app password</Box>
      <Box as="td" p={3}>Not your normal Google password</Box>
    </Box>
    <Box as="tr" borderTopWidth="1px">
      <Box as="td" p={3}>Port</Box>
      <Box as="td" p={3}><code>587</code> (TLS) or <code>465</code> (SSL)</Box>
      <Box as="td" p={3}>Match your provider’s security mode. Most have to use 587.</Box>
    </Box>
    <Box as="tr" borderTopWidth="1px">
      <Box as="td" p={3}>Enable start TLS/SSL</Box>
      <Box as="td" p={3}>Disabled</Box>
      <Box as="td" p={3}>Required for secure delivery</Box>
    </Box>
  </Box>
</Box>

<Heading as="h2" id="imap-settings" fontSize="xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={3} color="gray.800">
IMAP settings
</Heading>

<Text fontSize="md" mb={4}>
As of January 2025, Google has IMAP turned on by default and no longer exposes a toggle in account settings. If you need to manually reference the values:
</Text>

<Box as="table" width="100%" borderWidth="1px" borderRadius="md" overflow="hidden" mb={6}>
  <Box as="thead" bg="gray.50">
    <Box as="tr">
      <Box as="th" p={3} textAlign="left">Field</Box>
      <Box as="th" p={3} textAlign="left">Gmail value</Box>
    </Box>
  </Box>
  <Box as="tbody">
    <Box as="tr" borderTopWidth="1px">
      <Box as="td" p={3}>IMAP Server</Box>
      <Box as="td" p={3}><code>imap.gmail.com</code></Box>
    </Box>
    <Box as="tr" borderTopWidth="1px">
      <Box as="td" p={3}>IMAP Username</Box>
      <Box as="td" p={3}>Your full email address</Box>
    </Box>
    <Box as="tr" borderTopWidth="1px">
      <Box as="td" p={3}>IMAP Password</Box>
      <Box as="td" p={3}>Same 16‑character app password without spaces</Box>
    </Box>
    <Box as="tr" borderTopWidth="1px">
      <Box as="td" p={3}>IMAP Port</Box>
      <Box as="td" p={3}><code>993</code> (SSL)</Box>
    </Box>
    <Box as="tr" borderTopWidth="1px">
      <Box as="td" p={3}>Enable start TLS/SSL</Box>
      <Box as="td" p={3}>Enabled</Box>
      <Box as="td" p={3}>Required for secure delivery</Box>
    </Box>
  </Box>
</Box>

<Heading as="h2" id="save-settings" fontSize="xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={3} color="gray.800">
Test and save your settings
</Heading>

<Text fontSize="md" mb={6}>
After entering the values, you can test if everything works by pressing the "Test SMTP and IMAP" button.
After a successful test, press the "Save Settings" button to store your SMTP and IMAP configuration. 
</Text>

<Box my={6}>
  <Box position="relative" width="100%" height="auto">
    <Image
      src="/blog/assets/set-up-smtp-for-gmail-app-passwords/test-smtp-and-imap.png"
      alt="Test SMTP and IMAP button highlighted"
      width={1920}
      height={1080}
      style={{ width: '100%', height: 'auto', objectFit: 'contain', backgroundColor: 'white' }}
    />
  </Box>
</Box>

<Heading as="h2" id="troubleshooting" fontSize="xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={3} color="gray.800">
Troubleshooting tips
</Heading>

<Box as="ul" pl={6} mb={10}>
  <li>Verify 2‑Step Verification is enabled for the Google account.</li>
  <li>Confirm you’re using the 16‑character App Password (not your normal password).</li>
  <li>Try generating a new App Password if tests fail repeatedly.</li>
  <li>Temporarily disable any outbound firewall rules that may block SMTP ports 465/587.</li>
  <li>Check your sending app’s from/reply‑to address matches the authenticated Gmail account.</li>
  <li>Ask the Klarifi support team for help by sending an email to <a href="mailto:support@klarifi.io">support@klarifi.io</a></li>
</Box>

<BlogEndSection />

</Box>


Connect Gmail securely to Klarifi Campaigns using SMTP with a Google App Password. Learn how to enable 2‑Step Verification, generate an app password, and enter the correct SMTP/IMAP settings.

Connect Gmail to Klarifi Campaigns over SMTP with a Google App Password: turn on 2-Step Verification, create the password, enter the SMTP and IMAP settings.

Connect Gmail to Klarifi Campaigns

Enable 2‑Step Verification (required)

Create a Gmail App Password

Add your SMTP settings

IMAP settings

Test and save your settings

Troubleshooting tips

Connect your Gmail account to Klarifi Campaigns: step-by-step guide


<Box as="article">

<Heading as="h2" id="introduction" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
Why facility-level wastewater data matters
</Heading>

<Text mb={4}>
From regulatory compliance to identifying commercial opportunities, facility-level wastewater data has never been more critical. 
For wastewater solution providers, this data represents insights into potential clients, their challenges, and their needs. 
</Text>

<Heading as="h2" id="data-challenges" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
Navigating in public wastewater data
</Heading>

<Text mb={4}>
Publicly available wastewater data—scattered across different regulatory bodies and often buried in dense reports—can be overwhelming. For marketing and sales teams, this creates a massive bottleneck. Time that should be spent closing leads is wasted digging through spreadsheets, PDFs and google searches.
</Text>

<Heading as="h2" id="klarifi-approach" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
Klarifi’s facility details changes the game
</Heading>

<Text mb={4}>
Klarifi turns raw data into actionable insights. With access to over 200,000 facilities, the platform provides in-depth views into:
  - Facility ownership and contact details
  - Average daily flows and wastewater structures (like clarifiers, digestors and lagoons)
  - Discharge permit details and violation history
  - Relevant contact details for superintendents, plant managers and environmental officers etc.
</Text>

<Text mb={4}>
Access performance data to understand how a facility is currently operating. Is it meeting its permit requirements? 
How big is the actual flow (MGD) compared to the design flow? Klarifi’s platform answer these questions with up-to-date data streams.
Track historical permit violations such as BOD exceedances, and identify facilities that have repeated compliance issues—perfect for tailoring solutions and messaging.
Users can export structured reports and retrieve stakeholder contacts, making it easy to integrate Klarifi data into CRM and sales pipelines.
Klarifi isn’t just for research—it’s a lead machine. With advanced filtering (by location, discharge type, structure, violations, and more), the platform empowers sales teams to find and qualify leads with laser precision.
These insights save hours of manual research, enabling faster, smarter outreach.
</Text>


<Heading as="h2" id="guide-through" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
Walkthrough: Examining South Bay International WWTP
</Heading>

<Text>
Klarifi's visual walkthrough guides you through rich data layers. From locating a facility to drilling into discharge trends and downloading contacts, each step reveals new lead-generation opportunities.
In the below walkthrough we show you how to find contact details and analyze discharge data for South Bay International WWTP.
</Text>

<Text fontSize="md" mb={4} display={{ base: 'block', md: 'none' }}>
    This interactive walkthrough can only be experienced on desktop. Please visit this page on a larger screen to see the full demonstration.
</Text>


<WalkthroughGuide
  steps={[
    {
        image: '/guides/facility-details/klarifi-facility-details-guide-step-one.webp',
        description:
            'Lets start by exploring general information about South Bay International WWTP',
        hotspot: { x: 540, y: 385 },
        descriptionPosition: 'bottom',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/facility-details/klarifi-facility-details-guide-step-two.webp',
        description:
            "We see some basic information about the facility, including its name, location, and ownership. Lets dive deeper into the facility's details",
        hotspot: { x: 1141, y: 389 },
        descriptionPosition: 'left',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/facility-details/klarifi-facility-details-guide-step-three.webp',
        description:
            "Its easy to identify the owner of the facility, the average daily flow size and the structures present on site. Let's find relevant people to contact",
        hotspot: { x: 600, y: 640 },
        descriptionPosition: 'top',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/facility-details/klarifi-facility-details-guide-step-four.webp',
        description:
            "From here, we can reveal of download multiple relevant contacts. Let's explore the facility's discharge details.",
        hotspot: { x: 80, y: 488 },
        descriptionPosition: 'right',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/facility-details/klarifi-facility-details-guide-step-five.webp',
        description:
            "The facility has violated its BOD limit 40 times in the last 365 days. Let's explore further",
        hotspot: { x: 696, y: 604 },
        descriptionPosition: 'right',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/facility-details/klarifi-facility-details-guide-step-six.webp',
        description:
            "The facility has violated it's monthly BOD average limit 14 times in the last 365 days. Click to see how it has evolved over time",
        hotspot: { x: 600, y: 368 },
        descriptionPosition: 'bottom',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/facility-details/klarifi-facility-details-guide-step-seven.webp',
    },
  ]}
/>

<BlogFAQ />
<BlogEndSection />

</Box>

Explore how Klarifi’s platform turns public wastewater data into powerful commercial insights, driving smarter lead generation and facility-level intelligence.

Why facility-level wastewater data matters

Navigating in public wastewater data

Klarifi’s facility details changes the game

Walkthrough: Examining South Bay International WWTP

Detailed wastewater data at your fingertips


<Box as="article">

<Heading as="h2" id="how-wastewater-lagoons-treat-water" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
How wastewater lagoons treat water
</Heading>

<Text fontSize="md" mb={4}>
Wastewater lagoons treat water by using natural biological processes within large, shallow basins. Wastewater flows into these lagoons and is held for extended periods, allowing microorganisms to break down organic waste. 
Oxygen enters the system naturally via wind and algae-driven photosynthesis or is supplemented mechanically, supporting both aerobic and anaerobic digestion of pollutants. Over time, this results in clarified water that can be safely discharged or reused.
</Text>

<Heading as="h2" id="importance-identifying-lagoons" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
Importance of identifying lagoon systems
</Heading>

<Text fontSize="md" mb={4}>
Lagoon wastewater systems are ideal for specific applications but also prone to regulatory challenges. 
By pinpointing lagoon-based WWTPs that are struggling, 
wastewater solution providers can efficiently target high-potential leads who urgently need compliance or operational upgrades.
Facilities with frequent NPDES violations are good targets for lagoon solution upgrades. Klarifi's platform enables rapid filtering to uncover these at-risk facilities, allowing for timely and impactful outreach.
</Text>

<Heading as="h2" id="klarifi-platform-walkthrough" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
Klarifi platform walkthrough
</Heading>

<Text fontSize="md" >
Klarifi makes it simple to locate lagoon-based wastewater plants with regulatory concerns. Our platform combines facility-level permit data with structure detection from satellite and aerial imagery, 
making it easy to find facilities with various type of lagoon systems in place.
</Text>

<Text fontSize="md" mb={4} display={{ base: 'block', md: 'none' }}>
    This interactive walkthrough can only be experienced on desktop. Please visit this page on a larger screen to see the full demonstration.
</Text>


<WalkthroughGuide
  steps={[
    {
        image: '/guides/lagoons/klarifi-lagoons-guide-step-one.webp',
        description:
            'Lets start by exploring the wastewater structures that Klarifi detects using a custom object detection algorithm',
        hotspot: { x: 175, y: 255 },
        descriptionPosition: 'right',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/lagoons/klarifi-lagoons-guide-step-two.webp',
        description:
            "Let's choose facilities with at least one lagoon",
        hotspot: { x: 50, y: 575 },
        descriptionPosition: 'right',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/lagoons/klarifi-lagoons-guide-step-three.webp',
        description:
            "Collapse the structures filter",
        hotspot: { x: 175, y: 255 },
        descriptionPosition: 'right',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/lagoons/klarifi-lagoons-guide-step-four.webp',
        description:
            "Let's only include facilities that have violated their permits 3 times within the last 365 days",
        hotspot: { x: 175, y: 330 },
        descriptionPosition: 'right',
    },
        {
        image: '/guides/lagoons/klarifi-lagoons-guide-step-five.webp',
        description:
            "Start by adding a new parameter",
        hotspot: { x: 140, y: 364 },
        descriptionPosition: 'right',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/lagoons/klarifi-lagoons-guide-step-six.webp',
        description:
            "You can choose from a range of different parameters such as BOD, ammonia and phosphorus. For now, we go with 'Any parameter'",
        hotspot: { x: 232, y: 385 },
        descriptionPosition: 'right',
    },
            {
        image: '/guides/lagoons/klarifi-lagoons-guide-step-seven.webp',
        description:
            "Include only facilities with effluent violations in the last 365 days",
        hotspot: { x: 239, y: 503 },
        descriptionPosition: 'right',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/lagoons/klarifi-lagoons-guide-step-eight.webp',
        description:
            "Include only facilities with at least 3 effluent violations in the last 365 days",
        hotspot: { x: 75, y: 590 },
        descriptionPosition: 'right',
    },
        {
        image: '/guides/lagoons/klarifi-lagoons-guide-step-nine.webp',
        description:
            "Zoom into to see details about individual facilities",
        hotspot: { x: 825, y: 520 },
        descriptionPosition: 'left',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/lagoons/klarifi-lagoons-guide-step-ten.webp',
        description:
            "Get an overview of the WWTP in DeRidder by clicking on the blue pin",
        hotspot: { x: 790, y: 479 },
        descriptionPosition: 'left',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/lagoons/klarifi-lagoons-guide-step-eleven.webp',
    },
]}
/>

<Heading as="h2" id="advantages-of-lagoon-systems" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
Advantages of lagoon systems
</Heading>

<Text fontSize="md" mb={4}>
- Low installation and maintenance costs
- Natural treatment without complex machinery
- High scalability for small towns and rural communities
</Text>

<Heading as="h2" id="challenges-lagoon-systems" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
Challenges facing lagoon systems
</Heading>

<Text fontSize="md" mb={4}>
- Reduced efficiency in colder climates
- Large land requirements
- Potential for odor and algae issues if poorly maintained
</Text>

<Heading as="h2" id="future-of-lagoon-wastewater-treatment" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
Future of lagoon wastewater treatment
</Heading>

<Text fontSize="md" mb={4}>
Innovation is expanding lagoon treatment capabilities. Enhanced aeration, AI monitoring, and bioaugmentation are making lagoon systems more viable for broader applications, including semi-urban areas.
</Text>

<BlogFAQ />

<BlogEndSection />

</Box>


Learn how to identify and locate lagoon-based wastewater treatment plants across the United States using Klarifi's comprehensive wastewater facility database.

How wastewater lagoons treat water

Importance of identifying lagoon systems

Klarifi platform walkthrough

Advantages of lagoon systems

Challenges facing lagoon systems

Future of lagoon wastewater treatment

How to find lagoon-based wastewater treatment plants


<Box as="article">

<Heading as="h2" id="intro-map-view" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt="8" mb="4" color="gray.800">
    Introduction to Klarifi's interactive map
</Heading>
Having an overview of compliance across US industrial facilities and wastewater treatment plants requires detailed, accurate, and accessible data. Our interactive map makes it easy for wastewater solution providers to explore, analyze, and engage with facilities by integrating wastewater insights, environmental compliance data, and satellite imagery into one user-friendly interface.

<Heading as="h2" id="walkthrough" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt={8} mb={4} color="gray.800">
Walkthrough: Finding publicly owned facilities with BOD challenges
</Heading>

<Text>
Klarifi's visual walkthrough guides you through rich, interactive data layers. From locating a facility to drilling into discharge trends and downloading contacts, each step reveals new lead-generation opportunities.
In the below walkthrough we show how you in just a few clicks can identify public owned facilities having violated their BOD permit the last 365 days.
You can also explore other interesting aspects such as historical discharge patterns, contact details and aerial images of more than 100.000 US based facilities.
</Text>

<Text fontSize="md" mb={4} display={{ base: 'block', md: 'none' }}>
    This interactive walkthrough can only be experienced on desktop. Please visit this page on a larger screen to see the full demonstration.
</Text>


<WalkthroughGuide
  steps={[
    {
        image: '/guides/map/klarifi-explore-guide-step-one.webp',
        description:
            "Let's identify facilities by specific discharge patterns and compliance history",
        hotspot: { x: 150, y: 405 },
        descriptionPosition: 'right',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/map/klarifi-explore-guide-step-two.webp',
        description:
            "Select from a range of parameters to customize your view. Let's start by looking at facilities discharging BOD",
        hotspot: { x: 225, y: 475 },
        descriptionPosition: 'bottom',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/map/klarifi-explore-guide-step-three.webp',
        description:
            'Select facilities with at least one BOD effluent violation during the past year',
        hotspot: { x: 225, y: 622 },
        descriptionPosition: 'right',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/map/klarifi-explore-guide-step-four.webp',
        description:
            "Let's be more specific about the owner of each facilities",
        hotspot: { x: 175, y: 225 },
        descriptionPosition: 'right',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/map/klarifi-explore-guide-step-five.webp',
        description: "Let's only look at public owned facilities",
        hotspot: { x: 231, y: 394 },
        descriptionPosition: 'bottom',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/map/klarifi-explore-guide-step-six.webp',
        description:
            'The map allows you to zoom in and out to get a better view of the facilities in your area',
        hotspot: { x: 845, y: 500 },
        descriptionPosition: 'bottom',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/map/klarifi-explore-guide-step-seven.webp',
        description:
            'Get detailed insights and access high quality contacts by clicking on the facility marker',
        hotspot: { x: 873, y: 594 },
        descriptionPosition: 'left',
    },
    {
        image: '/guides/map/klarifi-explore-guide-step-eight.webp',
    },
  ]}
/>

<Heading as="h2" id="key-features" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt="8" mb="4" color="gray.800">
    Key features of the interactive map
</Heading>
Klarifi's map uniquely combines environmental compliance data from wastewater and detailed insights into facility-level operations.
It allows you to zoom into specific regions to quickly pinpoint local facilities, evaluate their compliance histories, 
and gather critical contact information. K
larifi's intuitive interface provides a clear, geographic context to complex wastewater compliance data. Key functionalities include:

- Interactive wastewater data of 200,000+ industrial facilities and WWTPs
- Detailed historical compliance records and wastewater permit data
- Filter facilities by location, compliance history, industry, wastewater structures and flow size
- Satellite imagery to support environmental data mapping and verification of wastewater structures

<Heading as="h2" id="facility-profiles" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt="8" mb="4" color="gray.800">
    Detailed facility profiles
</Heading>
Each facility on Klarifi's platform has a comprehensive profile that includes:

- Relevant contact details for superintendents, plant managers and environmental officers
- Historical and current compliance records including wastewater violations
- Discharge and flow metrics
- Count of wastewater structures like clarifiers, aeration tanks, lagoons, cooling towers

Read more about the <a href="/blog/detailed-wastewater-data-at-your-fingertips" style={{
        textDecoration: 'underline',
        textDecorationColor: '	#0000FF',
        color: "blue"
      }}>detailed wastewater facility data behind each plant</a>.

<Heading as="h2" id="real-world-benefits" fontSize="2xl" fontWeight="bold" mt="8" mb="4" color="gray.800">
    Real-world benefits for users
</Heading>

Users like wastewater solution providers report significant benefits:

- Dramatic reduction in manual research time
- Higher accuracy in facility targeting
- Increased sales effectiveness through precise lead generation

<BlogFAQ />
<BlogEndSection />
</Box>


Discover Klarifi's interactive map to explore wastewater data and detailed environmental compliance data.

Interactive wastewater facility map

Introduction to Klarifi's interactive map

Walkthrough: Finding publicly owned Facilities with recent BOD effluent violations

Key features of the interactive map

Detailed facility profiles

Real-world benefits for users

Interactive wastewater facility map: explore environmental compliance data

Klarifi’s wastewater industry blog: market trends, capital plans, permits, treatment technology and how to find wastewater projects and leads.

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