Clean Water Act

California Assembly Appropriations Committee Advances AB 2777 on Water Reuse and Clean Water Loans

In May 2026, the California Assembly Appropriations Committee advanced AB 2777, which would revise State Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund loan terms and clarify when recycled water runoff may enter outdoor eating areas. If enacted, water and wastewater utilities and recycled water operators in California would face more flexible but potentially higher financing charges and a sharper definition of acceptable incidental runoff near public dining areas, warranting early review of funding strategies and irrigation designs.

15 May 2026, 17:44leginfo.legislature.ca.govUnited States

Texas TCEQ Proposes Produced Water Reuse Amendments to 30 TAC §210.54

In May 2026, TCEQ proposed amendments to 30 TAC §210.54 to allow produced water meeting specified federal effluent guideline categories to be authorised for reuse as industrial reclaimed water, implementing Texas Senate Bill 1145 on produced water permitting. If adopted, the rule would expand options for beneficial reuse of treated produced water in Texas while reinforcing permitting, treatment and siting requirements that oil and gas operators and industrial water users must integrate into their long-term water and sustainability planning.

15 May 2026, 16:17sos.state.tx.usUnited States

US EPA Proposes Revisions to Steam Electric Effluent Guidelines for Unmanaged Combustion Residual Leachate

In May 2026 the US Environmental Protection Agency proposed revising the steam electric effluent guidelines so that controls on unmanaged coal combustion residual leachate shift from uniform national limits to site-specific, best-professional-judgment determinations for most groundwater-driven discharges, while retaining mercury and arsenic limits for pumped leachate. If finalised, this would significantly reduce compliance costs and give coal-fired power plants and NPDES permit writers more flexibility in how they manage coal-ash leachate, so utilities, regulators, and large industrial power users should monitor the rulemaking, consider commenting, and reassess long-term wastewater and permitting strategies under the Clean Water Act.

15 May 2026, 16:11epa.govUnited States

US District Court (E.D. Virginia) Receives Response Opposing EPA Motion to Dismiss PFAS Impaired-Waters Suit

Wild Virginia has filed a detailed brief opposing EPA's attempt to dismiss its Clean Water Act and Administrative Procedure Act lawsuit over EPA's approval of Virginia's 2024 impaired-waters list and treatment of PFAS-contaminated segments in the Middle Chickahominy River watershed. If the challenge succeeds, EPA could be forced to revisit PFAS impairment and TMDL decisions for Virginia's waters, signalling potential broader expansion of PFAS-impaired water designations and remediation obligations.

15 May 2026, 15:26courtlistener.comUnited States

California State Water Board Seeks Comment on Draft Section 401 Water Quality Certification for New Bullards Bar Dam ARC Spillway Project

In May 2026 the California State Water Resources Control Board released a draft Clean Water Act section 401 water quality certification for Yuba County Water Agency’s New Bullards Bar Dam Atmospheric River Control Spillway Project, with public comments due by 5:00 pm on 28 May 2026. If adopted, this certification will lock in detailed flow, monitoring, erosion control, habitat protection, and reporting conditions for the new spillway, shaping how hydropower and water-supply operators plan construction, flood-control operations, and compliance with California and federal water quality requirements.

15 May 2026, 15:24waterboards.ca.govUnited States

Nevada NDEP Seeks Comment on Sloan Lane Working in Waterways Permit (NS2026510) and Stirling Club NPDES Renewal (NV0023256)

Nevada’s environmental regulator has opened public comment on a new working-in-waterways permit for Sloan Lane improvements (NS2026510) and on renewal of the Stirling Club LLC NPDES wastewater discharge permit (NV0023256), with comments due by 13 and 15 June 2026. These permit actions indicate upcoming Clean Water Act compliance commitments for local infrastructure and facility operators, and stakeholders may wish to review and influence permit conditions before they are finalised.

15 May 2026, 13:31ndep.nv.govUnited States

Alabama ADEM Opens Comment Period On Statewide NPDES Permit Applications (13 May 2026)

Alabama’s environmental regulator has issued a new statewide NPDES public notice opening a 30-day comment period on draft and renewal wastewater discharge permits for multiple industrial, mining, and municipal facilities. These permits will set binding discharge and monitoring obligations for key power, cement, chemical, mining, and wastewater operations in Alabama, so operators and stakeholders should review the draft conditions and decide quickly whether to submit technical comments before they are finalised.

15 May 2026, 09:42adem.alabama.govUnited States

Foreign Operators and Technical Superintendent of M/V Dali Indicted for Roles in Key Bridge Crash

On 12 May 2026, U.S. authorities indicted two Synergy Marine companies and a technical superintendent over the M/V Dali’s 2024 Francis Scott Key Bridge crash, alleging conspiracy, safety violations and misdemeanor Clean Water Act and Oil Pollution Act offences tied to significant pollutant discharges. This enforcement action underscores aggressive application of existing U.S. water-pollution and maritime safety laws to foreign-flag vessels, elevating criminal risk for ship operators and technical managers whose cost-cutting or maintenance decisions contribute to major environmental and infrastructure incidents.

14 May 2026, 05:55epa.govUnited States

Vermont Legislature Records House Proposal of Amendment to S.223 Water Quality Study Bill

By 12 May 2026, Vermont’s S.223 water‑quality bill had advanced with a recorded House proposal of amendment following House passage with its own amendments earlier in May. Although the bill still only creates a study group on water classification and antidegradation rather than changing standards directly, its progress signals likely future adjustments to Vermont’s water‑quality rules and permitting expectations that operators should track.

11 May 2026, 18:55legislature.vermont.govUnited States

US District Court Orders Clean Water Act And FLSA Penalties In Lodos v. Empire Towing Corp

In March 2026 the US District Court for the District of Colorado entered a final judgment in Lodos v. Empire Towing Corp., awarding damages and civil penalties including $17,475 under the Clean Water Act and closing the case. This enforcement outcome highlights that operational and wage-related violations can lead to combined environmental and labour liabilities, reinforcing the need for robust compliance across both Clean Water Act and Fair Labor Standards Act obligations.

11 May 2026, 12:10govinfo.govUnited States

Texas Opens Public Comment on Cotton Bayou Above Tidal Bacteria TMDL Addendum

In April 2026, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality released a draft Water Quality Management Plan update adding a new bacteria total maximum daily load for Cotton Bayou Above Tidal and opened public consultation from 8 May to 9 June 2026. The addendum tightens E. coli load allocations for local wastewater dischargers and stormwater sources to restore recreational water quality, so operators and municipalities in the Cotton Bayou watershed should assess their assigned loads and consider submitting comments before the deadline.

10 May 2026, 18:57tceq.texas.govUnited States

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Proposes Reissuance of NPDES and SDS Wastewater Permit for Bongards’ Creameries Perham Facility

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has opened public comment on the proposed reissuance of the NPDES and State Disposal System wastewater permit MN0047228 for Bongards’ Creameries’ Perham facility, with comments due by 8 June 2026. The renewed permit will set effluent limits, spray irrigation and by-product land application conditions, and expanded monitoring for wastewater and stormwater discharges, so the facility and local stakeholders should review the draft now for potential operational and groundwater impacts.

9 May 2026, 14:20scs-public.s3-us-gov-west-1.amazonaws.comUnited States

Vermont House Passes Amended S.223 on Water Quality Study Group

Vermont lawmakers have advanced S.223, a bill that would create a Water Quality, Lake Classification, and Antidegradation Study Group to review and recommend changes to the state’s surface-water protection and antidegradation framework, with the House now passing an amended version in May 2026. While the measure does not immediately change pollutant limits or permitting, it signals a likely tightening or restructuring of Vermont’s water classification and antidegradation standards over 2026–2027, which could affect future requirements for dischargers and lake-adjacent activities.

9 May 2026, 14:13legislature.vermont.govUnited States

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Seeks Comment on April 2026 Water Quality Management Plan Update

Texas has released a draft April 2026 update to its statewide Water Quality Management Plan, which sets projected effluent limits and planning assumptions for domestic wastewater dischargers, and is now inviting written public comments. Because EPA approval of this update can be a precondition for certain TPDES permits, operators with existing or planned wastewater discharges in Texas should review whether their facilities are covered and assess potential future permitting and compliance impacts.

9 May 2026, 14:12sos.state.tx.usUnited States

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Opens Public Comment on Enforcement Orders and Water Quality Plan Update

TCEQ has used the 8 May 2026 Texas Register to announce multiple enforcement actions and to open public comment by 9 June 2026 on proposed agreed and default enforcement orders and an April 2026 update to the statewide Water Quality Management Plan. For regulated facilities in Texas this signals continued, targeted environmental enforcement and incremental adjustments to individual wastewater permits and planning assumptions, rather than wholesale new regulatory standards, but affected operators should still review whether they are named and consider commenting or adjusting compliance plans.

9 May 2026, 14:12sos.state.tx.usUnited States

US DOJ Lodges Proposed Clean Water Act Consent Decree for Massachusetts Fishing Vessels

In May 2026 the US Department of Justice lodged a proposed Clean Water Act consent decree against fishing vessel operator Amelia Joyce Inc. over oily bilge water discharges in Fairhaven Harbor, Massachusetts. The decree would impose a $200,000 civil penalty plus training, recordkeeping, and equipment upgrades on five vessels, with a 7 June 2026 comment deadline signalling continued federal scrutiny of wastewater pollution from marine operations.

9 May 2026, 13:23federalregister.govUnited States

Kentucky Division of Water Opens Comment on Draft 2026 303(d) Impaired Waters List

In May 2026, Kentucky’s Division of Water opened a 60-day public comment period on the draft 2026 303(d) list of impaired waters and an updated methodology for assessing surface-water quality. The final list and methodology will shape future TMDLs and discharge permit requirements across Kentucky, so permit holders and watershed stakeholders should review affected waters and submit any data or comments before the 5 July 2026 deadline.

9 May 2026, 13:19eec.ky.govUnited States

US EPA Final Determination Authorising Vessel Sewage No-Discharge Zone for Virginia Northern Neck Waters

EPA Region 3 has issued its final Clean Water Act determination enabling Virginia to designate vessel sewage no-discharge zones covering Northern Neck peninsula waters in four coastal counties. Vessel operators and marinas in these waters should anticipate a full ban on sewage discharges and align operations with shore-based pumpout and treatment capacity, strengthening water quality protection and shellfish and recreation uses over the long term.

8 May 2026, 11:03federalregister.govUnited States

US EPA Defends Clean Water Act Ruling On PFAS In Sewage Sludge In D.C. Circuit

EPA is defending in the D.C. Circuit a 2025 district court ruling that the Clean Water Act does not obligate the agency to impose PFAS limits in land-applied sewage sludge, in litigation brought by farmers over PFAS-contaminated biosolids. The decision will determine whether EPA faces a court-recognised duty to develop national PFAS-in-sludge standards under the Clean Water Act, with significant implications for wastewater utilities, farmers, and water-quality risk management across the United States.

8 May 2026, 07:26earthjustice.orgUnited States

Missouri Senate Committee Advances HB 3076 Clarifying Agricultural Nonpoint Source Permit Exemptions

In May 2026 a Missouri Senate committee advanced HB 3076, which clarifies that agricultural nonpoint source discharges are exempt from state clean water permitting under the Missouri Clean Water Law. If enacted, many farming and irrigation operations in Missouri could avoid water discharge permits while CAFO and point-source obligations remain, reshaping permitting strategy and environmental compliance planning for agricultural operators.

8 May 2026, 06:57house.mo.govUnited States