Nutrient removal projects in US capital improvement plans
54 planned projects · $633M · 44 cities in 22 states
In short
How many nutrient removal projects are in US city capital plans?
Klarifi’s extraction of published capital improvement plans finds 54 nutrient removal projects in 44 cities across 22 states, with a combined budget of $633M. The largest is Nutrient Reduction Improvements in Cedar Falls, IA, at $126M.
Biological and chemical nitrogen and phosphorus removal, anoxic zones, tertiary filters and chemical feed, usually driven by a permit limit or a TMDL on the receiving water. The list below ranks the 10 largest by budget; every city links to its full capital plan page. What is biological nutrient removal? →
The largest nutrient removal projects
| # | Project | City | Budget | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nutrient Reduction Improvements | Cedar Falls, IA | $126M | 2024–2029 |
| 2 | TZO - Phase II (Jordan Lake) Nutrient Removal | Greensboro, NC | $110M | 2028–2035 |
| 3 | Patapsco Centrate Treatment Facilities Upgrades | Baltimore, MD | $54M | 2025–2028 |
| 4 | Water Pollution Control Facility Nutrient & Liquid Processing Improvements | Leesburg, VA | $53M | 2026–2031 |
| 5 | Phosphorous Compliance Plant Upgrade | Portage, WI | $40M | 2026–2028 |
| 6 | Phosphorus Reduction Facility, R.M. Clayton | Atlanta, GA | $38M | 2026–2030 |
| 7 | Cedar Creek WWTP Expansion Phase II (BNR) | Olathe, KS | $35M | 2025–2027 |
| 8 | Nitrogen Removal & Facility upgrade | Hanover, NH | $22M | 2049 |
| 9 | WW Nutrient Reduction - CDPHE Permit Compliance | Lebanon, OH | $20M | 2028–2029 |
| 10 | Facility Expansion of Nitrification and Denitrification Capacity | Summit County, CO | $16M | 2025–2027 |
All 54 nutrient removal projects, with descriptions and contacts
Every line item with its description, page reference and source document, filterable by state, budget and start year, linked to the treatment plants and decision-makers in each city, and refreshed as new plans are adopted.
Cities with the most nutrient removal projects
| City | Projects | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta, GA | 3 | $46M |
| Portage, WI | 2 | $41M |
| Orlando, FL | 2 | $15M |
| Boise, ID | 2 | $10M |
| Independence, MO | 2 | $9M |
| Manteca, CA | 2 | $7M |
| Lincoln, NE | 2 | $3M |
| Simi Valley, CA | 2 | $2M |
| Bozeman, MT | 2 | $675K |
| Cedar Falls, IA | 1 | $126M |
| Greensboro, NC | 1 | $110M |
| Baltimore, MD | 1 | $54M |
States with the most nutrient removal projects
| State | Projects | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 5 | $145M |
| California | 5 | $9M |
| North Carolina | 4 | $115M |
| Missouri | 4 | $11M |
| Georgia | 3 | $46M |
| Wisconsin | 3 | $43M |
| Ohio | 3 | $22M |
| Illinois | 3 | $18M |
| Florida | 3 | $15M |
| Virginia | 2 | $53M |
| New Hampshire | 2 | $23M |
| Colorado | 2 | $17M |
Planned spend by start year
Before 2026
$276M
26 items
2026
$171M
16 items
2027
$7M
1 items
2028
$144M
5 items
2029
$2M
3 items
2030
$11M
2 items
2032 and later
$22M
1 items
Other project types
Questions about nutrient removal projects
Sources and methodology
Budgets and years are as published in each city’s capital improvement plan or adopted budget. Klarifi extracts the water, sewer and wastewater line items from the published document, keeps the page reference for each one, and assigns a project type from the title and description with a keyword classifier. Figures are planning budgets, not awarded contracts, and can change when a plan is re-adopted.
Data refreshed October 12, 2026.
Wastewater terms: Lift station · Inflow and infiltration · Sludge dewatering · WWTP · FOG · Equalization tank · all terms