Right now, the Clean Water Act, our nation’s most important tool for safeguarding rivers, lakes, and wetlands, is under serious threat. Regulations such as the definition of “Waters of the United States” and the implementation of Section 401 are up for debate. Meanwhile, Congress is considering legislative efforts like the PERMIT Act that could further weaken these protections by limiting state and Tribal authority.
If these changes are enacted, they would remove federal safeguards from countless wetlands, streams, and headwaters that flow into drinking water sources, agricultural systems, and recreational economies. We have already seen the consequences of the Supreme Court’s Sackett v. EPA decision, and any further weakening of clean water protections, whether through legislation or administrative action, would jeopardize access to clean water, regulatory certainty, and long-term economic resilience.
The implications for business are significant. Weaker safeguards mean increased pollution, higher water treatment costs, greater risks from flooding and drought, and more volatility for industries that depend on clean, reliable water, including agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, and food and beverage.
If we don’t speak up now, the cost of doing business will rise while the quality of the resources we depend on declines. This is a critical moment for the business community to stand together in support of strong, science-based water protections that safeguard public health, economic stability, and the environment we all share
