The Rundown
- EPA delays proposed rule for perchlorate in drinking water until January 2026 due to the government shutdown.
- House Republicans pass bills to change Clean Water Act permitting.
- EPA and Army Corps will hold public meetings on their proposal to narrow the scope of the Clean Water Act.
- USGS tracks the inland, underground movement of saltwater in Florida’s Miami-Dade County.
- Two California Democrats introduce water storage bills for their state.
- Snow cover in the western states is the lowest since at least 2001.
And lastly, Interior Department representatives will be speaking this week at a big annual Colorado River meeting.
“These criminal charges serve as an unequivocal warning to malicious cyber actors in the U.S. and abroad: EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate threats to our nation’s water infrastructure and will pursue justice against those who endanger the American public.” – Craig Pritzlaff, EPA acting assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance, in a statement after charging a Ukrainian national with participating in cyberattacks against U.S. water infrastructure. The attacks were allegedly carried out with CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn, a group linked to the Russian military.
By the Numbers
800 Meters: Distance that saltwater moved inland in southern Miami-Dade County between 2018 and 2022, according to U.S. Geological Survey estimates. In the northern part of the county, the saltwater front advanced by 300 meters. This saltwater intrusion can spoil drinking water wells and damage underground infrastructure. Groundwater is the main drinking water source for the 2.8 million people in Miami-Dade County.
News Briefs
Permitting Bills
House Republicans passed a package of infrastructure permitting changes that are intended to quicken environmental reviews.
The PERMIT Act would exclude certain activities (aerial fighting sprays, farm stormwater, pesticides) from pollution discharge permits. It would prevent the EPA from vetoing projects that would damage wetlands if the Army Corps has authorized it. It also orders faster reviews and a more streamlined process.
Permitting is a contentious topic in Congress. Each party would like to see more of its preferred infrastructure – fossil fuel projects, renewable energy – built quicker. But compromise has been elusive. Only six Democrats voted for the PERMIT Act.
California Water Storage
Two House Democrats from central California (Reps. Jim Costa and Adam Gray) introduced three water bills for their state.
One would authorize 22 water storage projects in the Central Valley, including reservoirs, groundwater banking, and canal repairs.
The others would put a one-year time limit on environmental reviews and simplify permitting. Costa and Gray both voted for the PERMIT Act.
Studies and Reports
Low Snow
The early weeks of the cold season have not produced much snow.
According to satellite data, snow cover in the western U.S. is the lowest since at least 2001, when satellite monitoring began.
On the Radar
Perchlorate Rulemaking Delayed
Due to the government shutdown, the EPA will publish a proposed limit for perchlorate in drinking water by January 2, 2026.
The draft rule was due November 21, 2025. The extension was agreed to in U.S. district court by the Natural Resources Defense Council, which sued to force the agency to enact a limit on the chemical, which is an ingredient in rocket fuel and fireworks and harms brain development.
The final rule is due by May 2027.
WOTUS Hearings
The EPA and Army Corps will hold a meeting in Pittsburgh today to gather public comments on proposed narrowing of the Clean Water Act.
The meeting will also be webcast. Register here.
The next day, December 16, the agencies will host a virtual session for public comments. Register here.
Colorado River Meeting
The basin’s stalled water-sharing negotiations will be the focus this week for a big annual Colorado River meeting in Las Vegas.
Several high-level Interior officials are scheduled to speak on December 17: Andrea Travnichek, assistant secretary for water and science; Carly Jerla, senior water resources program manager at the Bureau of Reclamation; and Scott Cameron, Reclamation’s acting commissioner.
The clock is ticking for the basin. Current reservoir operating rules expire at the end of next year. The seven states that share the basin have been unable to agree on cuts that would align water use with a shrinking supply.
Federal Water Tap is a weekly digest spotting trends in U.S. government water policy. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.
