diff --git a/dumux/implicit/problem.hh b/dumux/implicit/problem.hh
index 28ea314e1808957c8d4e0fd2bf97dfad5b597dc0..78516834478c89911d1a798bf8967bc22f1165c2 100644
--- a/dumux/implicit/problem.hh
+++ b/dumux/implicit/problem.hh
@@ -458,33 +458,6 @@ public:
                    "an initial() or an initialAtPos() method.");
     }
 
-    /*!
-     * \brief Evaluate the initial phase state inside a control volume.
-     *
-     * \param vertex The vertex
-     * \param vIdxGlobal The global index of the vertex
-     * \param globalPos The global position
-     */
-    int initialPhasePresence(const Vertex &vertex,
-                             int &vIdxGlobal,
-                             const GlobalPosition &globalPos) const
-    {
-        // forward to generic interface
-        return asImp_().initialPhasePresenceAtPos(globalPos);
-    }
-
-    /*!
-     * \brief Evaluate the initial value for a control volume.
-     *
-     * \param globalPos The global position
-     */
-    int initialPhasePresenceAtPos(const GlobalPosition &globalPos) const
-    {
-        //! As a default, i.e. if the user's problem does not overload any initialPhasePresence method
-        //! return 0 (the default phase state is depending on the model context)
-        return 0;
-    }
-
     /*!
      * \brief Return how much the domain is extruded at a given sub-control volume.
      *