Research emphasis by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in wastewater treatment has focussed on control of toxics and sludge management. The paper describes highlights of the Environmental Protection Agency's research in these areas. The research on toxics control features studies on the treatability and fate of specific chemicals in conventional primary-secondary wastewater treatment and on toxicity reduction in treatment using bioassays as integrated toxicity monitors. The toxicity reduction approach uses both aquatic ecosystem and health effects assays. The research in sludge management describes a process for converting municipal sludges to oil using waste landfilling. The four year landfill evaluation revealed reduced landfill leachate pollutants and a more rapid onset of methane production for codisposal of sludges and solid waste compared to disposal of solid wastes only.