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Industrial wastewater treatment construction abounds in U.S., elsewhere. Industrial Info Resources is tracking more than $1 billion worth of dedicated wastewater treatment construction projects outside of the Oil & Gas Production Industry in the U.S. This expands to more than US$15 billion globally. Released Thursday, July 30, 2026 Reports related to this article: Summary. Projects for new wastewater plants and upgrades to existing systems account for billions of dollars' worth of spending throughout the world. Outside of Oil & Gas Production, the Food & Beverage and Pulp & Paper industries are notable players in this sector. Here, there & everywhere. Wastewater-it's everywhere. Wastewater tends to garner the most headlines in regard to oil and gas fracking activities, which results in millions of gallons of (sometimes radioactive) fracking brine being reinjected into the ground. However, wastewater is a product of virtually every major industrial process, from Food & Beverages to Pharmaceuticals, and of the more than $1 trillion in current, on-the-ground, active U.S. industrial construction being tracked by Industrial Info Resources, more than $475 billion worth of these projects feature a specified wastewater component within their scope. While these can be built as just a matter of course within a plant's existing systems, many projects are dedicated to the construction and installation of specific units and plants aimed solely at wastewater treatment. More than $1 billion worth of construction that deal with these wastewater plants and units is either underway or lined up for the future in the U.S. Industrial Info Resources has details on all of them. Current U.S. Construction. The most notable wastewater construction underway at the moment outside of oil and gas is within the Pulp & Paper and Food & Beverage industries. One of the largest of these projects is underway in Sullivan County, Tennessee, where Domtar Corporation since late year has been constructing an anaerobic wastewater treatment plant at a pulp and paper mill. After more than a year of construction, the project is expected to wrap up later this year and will be capable of processing between 3 million and 4 million gallons per day. Smurfit Westrock last month started a much smaller project at a lightweight linerboard and paper mill in North Carolina that involves partial dredging of the pond and stabilization basin of its wastewater treatment system. The Food & Beverage Industry teems with existing wastewater-treatment projects, covering a range of products including everything from French fries to bacon to Asian foods. As examples, Cavendish Farms is currently adding a wastewater treatment facility at a frozen potatoes plant in North Dakota, while Swift Prepared Foods is spending around $20 million for a wastewater plant expansion at its ready-to-eat bacon plant in Randolph County, Missouri. Future U.S. Wastewater construction. Even larger U.S. wastewater-treatment projects loom on the horizon. One of the most notable of these is pork giant Smithfield Foods' plans to incorporate a wastewater treatment facility at an as-yet unstarted $1.3 billion hog slaughtering and processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Construction on the 20,000-hog-per-day plant is expected to kick off next year, after which construction will commence on an accompanying $110.3 million wastewater treatment facility. Other Food & Beverage sectors planning wastewater projects include breweries, poultry processing and several dairies. Petroleum refining makes a showing with notable future projects for a 300,000-gallon-per-day treatment system at a 25,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery in Great Falls, Montana, while upgrades are planned for the existing wastewater plant at Marathon Petroleum's 64,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Salt Lake City, Utah. Other refinery wastewater projects are on the books for Mississippi, Wyoming, Ohio and Oklahoma. Steelmakers, pharmaceutical companies and others also are gearing up for future U.S. wastewater projects, while Industrial Info Resources' global coverage of the sector includes more than US$15 billion worth of current and future projects. Key Takeaways * Construction and grassroot wastewater plants and upgrades to existing systems and units account for billions of dollars' worth of industrial construction spending throughout the world. * The Food & Beverage Industry is prominent player in wastewater construction, which is need for everything from meat and poultry processing to canned vegetables. * Industrial Info Resources is tracking more than US$15 billion worth of current and planned wastewater projects throughout the world. About Industrial Info Resources Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD). Want more IIR news intelligence? Make Industrial Info Resources, Inc. a Preferred Source on Google to see more of Industrial Info Resources, Inc. when you search. Ask Industrial Info Resources, Inc.. Submit a question and one of its experts will be happy to assist you. By submitting this form, you give Industrial Info permission to contact you by email in response to your inquiry. Forecasts & analytical solutions. Where global project and asset data meets advanced analytics for smarter market sizing and forecasting. PECWeb Global Market Intelligence platform. Identify opportunities, anticipate change, and execute with confidence. PECWeb connects the industrial intelligence you need, from projects and assets to operational events, all in one platform.

Gentry Locke welcomes former executive and legal leader Stewart T. Leeth to the firm. The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that Stewart T. Leeth, a seasoned c-suite executive with more than 30 years of legal, regulatory, and sustainability experience, has joined the firm. Stewart brings a proven track record of aligning legal strategy with business objectives, advancing corporate sustainability initiatives, and fostering strong relationships with stakeholders across the public and private sectors. "We are excited to welcome Stewart to the firm," said Gentry Locke Managing Partner Brett Marston. "His extensive experience at the intersection of law, business strategy, and environmental sustainability, combined with his ability to navigate complex regulatory environments, will be an exceptional asset to our clients and our firm." Serving in leadership roles with Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NYSE: SFD), a Fortune 500 company, Leeth most recently served as Chief Sustainability Officer where he acted as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, helping align global sustainability initiatives with core business strategy. In this role, Leeth oversaw environmental compliance efforts worldwide and represented the company in engagements with government officials, non-governmental organizations, and key external stakeholders. He also played a pivotal role in business development initiatives, serving as a strategic partner to sales teams and strengthening relationships with major customers. During his tenure at Smithfield Foods, Leeth initiated Smithfield Renewables, an innovative platform focused on identifying and advancing renewable energy opportunities. He also served on the boards of two company joint ventures, Align RNG, LLC, and Monarch Bioenergy LLC, supporting cutting-edge work in methane capture and renewable energy development. Prior to serving as the Chief Sustainability Officer, Leeth served in a variety of legal and business roles, including as Vice President overseeing corporate environmental compliance and state government affairs teams across the United States, General Counsel for the production division, Deputy Director of the company's charitable foundation, and Chief Corporate Environmental Counsel. Earlier in his career at Smithfield, Leeth played a central role in developing and expanding the company's global sustainability strategy and helped establish one of the first comprehensive sustainability programs in the protein industry. Before joining Smithfield, Leeth was a partner at a global law firm where he represented clients in complex environmental and regulatory matters, including litigation, rulemaking, and permitting. He also served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Natural Resources Section of the Attorney General's Office, advising state agencies and handling administrative law and enforcement matters. Leeth began his legal career as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Claude M. Hilton of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Leeth remains actively engaged in civic and industry leadership, having served in numerous roles with organizations such as the National Pork Board, the Virginia Land Conservation Board, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, and multiple conservation and agribusiness organizations across Virginia and North Carolina. He has also authored a portion of the Virginia Local Government Attorney's Manual for over two decades. His work reflects a strong commitment to sustainable development, public service, and regional economic growth. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of Richmond. With Stewart's addition, Gentry Locke continues to strengthen its ability to provide forward-thinking legal counsel that integrates business strategy, regulatory insight, and real-world executive experience.

Task force announced to begin process of redeveloping downtown Smithfield Foods site. June 15, 2026 A 13-member task force has been named that will help guide the first phase of redeveloping the Smithfield Foods property in downtown Sioux Falls. Falls Area Development Corporation, a nonprofit under the umbrella of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, ultimately will purchase the 120-acre property adjacent to Falls Park as Smithfield Foods builds an estimated $1.3 billion state-of-the-art plant at Foundation Park in northwest Sioux Falls. Falls Area Development Corporation will lead the effort to redevelop the Sanford District - named in honor of a $50 million donation from philanthropist Denny Sanford that allowed the land deal to come together. The Sanford District Advisory Task Force will lay the groundwork for a collaborative community master planning process, starting with about a year of research into potential approaches. The task force is "really about getting a head start knowing that everyone is going to want input into the process," said Bob Mundt, president and CEO of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. "And we want the process in place and want to know what we're going to do, so when we do get control of the property and tear it down, we know which direction we want to go." The phase one group will be chaired by Scott Stern, president of Stern Oil Co. Inc., who served as commissioner of the Governor's Office of Economic Development for three years under Gov. Dennis Daugaard. "I'm honored to do it," Stern said. "It is a multigenerational project opportunity... a wonderful opportunity, so I'm excited to do it." Stern agreed after Mayor Paul TenHaken approached him about taking on the role. "We need someone who understands economic development, someone who's known as a unifier and someone who can corral a room and bring people together, and when you look at those criteria, the list gets pretty short," TenHaken said. Stern had a list of thoughtful, detailed questions about the role to understand it before committing, "which reinforced he was the right guy to do this," the mayor added. Additional members of the volunteer task force were determined by Falls Area Development Corporation. "We looked at representatives from the city, from the private sector and just really looked at people... who were highly involved in the community, who had access to a lot of different parts of the community, looking at neighborhood developments and what the demographic of Sioux Falls looks like," Mundt said. The task force members are: * Scott Stern, chairman * Mark Cotter, Sioux Falls public works director * Todd Ernst, representing the Falls Area Development Corporation board * Lucas Fiegen, representing the FADC board * Brandon Hanson, CEO of Downtown Sioux Falls Inc. * Vaney Hariri, at-large community member * Shawn Pritchett, Sioux Falls director of finance * Jessie Schmidt, at-large community member * Keith Severson, representing the FADC board * Jennifer Sigette, representing the City Council * Roger Weber, representing the FADC board * Anita Wetsch, at-large community member * Kadyn Wittman, at-large community member Sioux Falls-based Maximizing Excellence has been hired to serve as facilitator for the group. "It's a great group. They really have assembled a nice team," Stern said. "When I looked at this, big picture, Sioux Falls was domiciled at that location with the Falls being the birthplace of the community. And to now bookend that with the development here, I think it absolutely, completely resets Sioux Falls from a retail, business development, residential, quality-of-life, placemaking environment." The task force is expected to spend the next year looking at case studies for large-scale redevelopment in other communities, evaluating financing options and governance for the site. It also will look at necessary and existing infrastructure at the site as well as surrounding properties, from a potential road network to water and wastewater capacity. "That's all research, really, at this point," Stern said, adding that once the potential and constraints of the site are established, the process can move forward with more directly applicable public input. "I'm a very transparent guy, and we want to be extremely transparent," he said. "We want to engage the public about what is the highest and best use of real estate." While a new mayoral administration begins in July, the idea with the Sanford District falling under the Falls Area Development Corporation allows it to transcend administrations, TenHaken said. "We're at the table, but we're not at the head of the table, and we don't always need to be the leader in every initiative," he said. "It's a partnership, and that's the piece I wanted to make sure we got done. We honestly move at the speed of government, and we wanted to make sure there was a little more nimbleness that could happen with the development of the district. It allows more creativity and flexibility with what happens there. The city has a say, but we don't have to move at a city pace." The structure of Falls Area Development Corporation as a nonprofit also allows it to access funding through foundations, limit liability and leverage public and grant dollars, Mundt said. The expectation is that Smithfield will purchase its approximately 200 acres for the new facility at Foundation Park sometime this year, and FADC has until mid-2030 to purchase the downtown site. One outcome of the task force likely will be to determine a structure for the district going forward after looking at options in other communities, Mundt said. "Is it an authority, a commission, does it have quasi-governmental ties, what does it look like and how is it governed," he said. "We'll be looking at the structure, and once we get into the master planning phase, there will be multiple opportunities for public input." Because the task force falls under the nonprofit entity and not a public entity, it is not obligated to follow public open meeting laws. However, there will be public presentations of information learned, progress reports and public forums throughout the process, Mundt said. The phase one task force will recommended actions to the Falls Area Development Corporation board, which will make the final decision on how to proceed to the following phases of work. Those are anticipated to include: * Phase two: Master planning and community engagement, beginning midsummer 2027. * Phase three: Property acquisition and cleanup, beginning 2029 or later. * Phase four: Property redevelopment, beginning 2030 or later. * The overall development is expected to take decades to fully mature. "This is not going to happen overnight," Stern said. "There's going to be such an urgency to see something happen, but we're going to be very deliberative and patient and do a lot of homework and analysis."