United States: Water

While EPA has proposed modifications to certain PFAS drinking water regulations, the PFOA and PFOS limits remain firmly in place, and EPA has signaled that a restarted rulemaking process could yield additional requirements for the rescinded compounds in the future.

Given the deregulatory approach taken by the Trump administration on PFAS maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) (as detailed in Part I) and the money his administration is making available for states (as detailed in Part II), this Part III analyzes the other side of the Trump administration’s environmental federalism – what the states are doing. States have responded in varying ways to the reduced federal action for PFAS MCLs, including some acting directly in response to the Trump administration’s recent MCL changes.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released its draft sixth Contaminant Candidate List under the Safe Drinking Water Act, marking a significant regulatory development by including microplastics...

The EPA has proposed two significant rules affecting PFAS drinking water standards: one offering water systems an optional two-year extension to comply with PFOA and PFOS limits until 2031, and another rescinding...

For decades, California water suppliers operated under a shield from inverse condemnation claims associated with delivery of water to their customers. Courts had rejected homeowners’ claims associated with pipe corrosion or pinhole leaks...

With the passage of Proposition 4 (Prop 4) in November 2024, California voters authorized a historic $10 billion climate bond, dedicating $3.8 billion explicitly to safe drinking water, drought preparedness and flood resilience.

The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) published for public comment its draft 2026 reissuance of the Upland Finfish Hatching and Rearing General Permit (Permit), which governs wastewater...

The EPA’s Water Reuse Action Plan 2.0 (“WRAP 2.0”) is a non-regulatory federal initiative relaunched in April 2026. Its goal is to accelerate treated wastewater reuse across industries...

March 15, 2026 marked the start of a new five-year cycle for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Nationwide Permits (NWPs). Pursuant to a final rule published on January 8, 2026, the Corps has reissued and modified 56 existing NWPs and created one new NWP.