#protectcleanwater

The public comment period on the so-called “Polluted Water Rule” closed on January 5, 2026. Almost immediately, the Trump administration moved on to its next attack on the Clean Water Act, this time targeting Section 401, one of the most important tools states and Tribes have to protect their waters. That timing tells you everything you need to know.

Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund made our voices loud and clear at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) latest listening session on the Clean Water Act. On May 1, 2025, EPA invited environmental stakeholders to weigh in on the definition of the “Waters of the United States,” an important term that determines what waters are protected and regulated under the Clean Water Act.