Federal Agencies Announce Plans for WOTUS Definition Rewrite by ACWA Staff Jun 10, 2021 Water News WASHINGTON, D.C. – On June 9, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers announced their intent to revise the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS). In tandem, the Department of Justice filed a motion requesting remand of the Trump Administration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule in its ongoing litigation of the rule. These actions taken together reflect the agencies’ intent to initiate a new rulemaking process that restores pre-2015 era WOTUS protections, and develop a new rule that is informed by extensive public engagement as well as lessons learned from implementing the pre-2015 WOTUS definition, the Obama-era Clean Water Rule, and the Trump-era Navigable Waters Protections Rule. This is the third consecutive Administration to revise the WOTUS definition. More details on the agencies’ plans, including opportunity for public participation, are forthcoming and can be found on EPA’s website. ACWA staff is tracking the issue closely and plans to weigh in once the public comment period is opened. ACWA previously filed comments on the latest iteration of the WOTUS definition.