Water Supply and Sewage Treatment NAICS 221310, 221320

Mar 24, 2025 - EPA to Revise Waters of the United States Rule

• In March 2025, the EPA announced that it would work with the Army Corps of Engineers to review the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) to reduce red tape, simplify compliance, and reduce costs. The revision of WOTUS will be informed by the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, which ruled that the Clean Water Act’s definition of “waters” only include relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing bodies of water forming streams, oceans, rivers, and lakes. The Trump administration EPA believes the current WOTUS definition is too broad and places an undue burden on farmers, landowners, and businesses by requiring costly permits before starting projects.
• North American construction and engineering spending for water and wastewater projects is expected to rise for the next several years, according to FMI’s first-quarter 2025 North American Engineering and Construction Outlook. Water supply project spending is expected to rise by 9% in 2025 amid necessary investments in water infrastructure. In a 2023 estimate, the EPA said the US will need to spend $625 billion over the next two decades to improve drinking water infrastructure. About two-thirds of that investment will be required to repair transmission and distribution networks. The EPA also estimates that replacing lead pipes will cost between $50 billion and $80 billion, with 9 million homes affected. Water supply spending growth is expected to moderate to 5% in 2026 and 1% in 2027 and 2028. Sewage and waste disposal construction and engineering spending is projected to rise by 6% in 2025. Key focus areas include hardening infrastructure in the face of severe weather events such as flash floods and hurricanes, additional water treatment plants, conveyance systems, recycled water distribution, and desalination. Sewage and waste disposal project spending is forecast to grow 4% in 2026, 1% in 2027, and 3% in 2028.

• More communities are considering bans on adding fluoride to drinking water, according to The Wall Street Journal. Utah’s legislature recently passed a bill to ban fluoride in the state, and the governor has said he will sign it. If the bill becomes law, Utah will be the first state to ban fluoride. Opponents of fluoride argue it’s unnecessary, given widespread access to toothpaste and mouthwashes that contain fluoride. Others suggest the chemical poses health risks, citing recent research that fluoride in elevated exposures was associated with lower IQ in children. However, the higher exposures were twice the recommended amount for US drinking water. Advocates for fluoride suggest it’s a valuable tool for public health, especially for vulnerable communities. The EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say fluoride is safe when used at recommended amounts. Nearly two-thirds of people in the US had fluoridated tap water in 2022.
• In a highly anticipated report released in mid-January, The EPA warned that two types of PFAS chemicals in biosolids can pose a health threat at levels as low as 1 part per billion, according to Waste Dive. The EPA found that two perfluoroalkyl substances (PFOA and PFOS) can leach from biosolids - or sewage sludge - if applied as a fertilizer, deposited in landfills, or incinerated. The EPA study focused on land application of biosolids because of their potential impact on water and food supplies. While the EPA’s findings do not involve an enforcement element, the agency recommends removing PFAS upstream from water treatment facilities.