The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented a revision of the Clean Water Act on Monday, raising concerns about its environmental impact.

The official proposal would leave millions of wetlands and streams without federal protection.

In particular, the measure redefines which bodies of water in the United States qualify to be protected by the Federal Government.

United States: What Changes with the New Water Regulation

The proposal restricts federal jurisdiction only to those waters with a “continuous surface connection” to navigable waters.

This means that wetlands and streams must maintain direct contact with a navigable waterway to be protected.

Additionally, these bodies of water must retain surface water for a specified period each year.

In this way, many isolated wetlands and seasonal streams that were previously protected would now be excluded.

The EPA developed this regulation to comply with the 2023 ruling of the Supreme Court on the Water Act in the United States.

If this revision is approved, the following bodies of water would no longer be categorized as “waters of the United States”:

• Ephemeral streams
• Waste treatment systems
• Groundwater
• Wetlands without continuous surface connection
• Isolated seasonal streams

The Rejection of Environmental Organizations

The Natural Wildlife Federation (NWF) strongly protested against the revision.

According to this organization, the proposal “reduces protections for streams and wetlands against pollution and destruction, more than at any time since the law was passed in 1972″.

Additionally, the NWF points out that the measure “goes beyond the 2023 Supreme Court ruling“, with a greater restriction than ordered by the court.

Jim Murphy, senior director of legal advocacy at NWF, warned: “This rule removes protections for streams that flow into rivers and lakes and supply the water we drink”.

Murphy added that “the wetlands that filter our water and protect us from floods are at risk of being wiped out”.

Economic and Health Impact of the Water Law Modification in the U.S.

According to the NWF, the legal change will have economic consequences for American families.

Murphy claims that “water treatment and home insurance costs will increase”.

The organization also warns of health risks: they expect higher levels of nitrates and cyanotoxins in drinking water.

Murphy concluded that “the crisis facing aquatic wildlife will deepen”.

Additionally, it will be more difficult to find places to fish, boat, and swim in the United States, the expert concluded.