S. 2421
119th CONGRESS 1st Session
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide exclusions from the term , and for other purposes. "navigable waters"
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES · July 23, 2025 · Sponsor: Ms. Ernst · Committee: Committee on Environment and Public Works
Table of contents
SEC. 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the or the "Clarifying Legal Exclusions Around Regulated Waters Act" or "CLEAR Waters Act".
SEC. 2. Definition of navigable waters
Section 502(7) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1362(7)) is amended— (1) by striking and inserting the following:
(7) Navigable waters (A) The term; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
(B) The term does not include any of the following: navigable waters (i) Any component of a waste treatment system, including any lagoon or treatment pond (such as a settling or cooling pond), designed to actively or passively— (I) convey or retain wastewater; or (II) concentrate, settle, reduce, or remove pollutants from wastewater. (ii) Ephemeral features that flow only in direct response to precipitation. (iii) Groundwater. (iv) Any other features determined to be excluded by the Administrator and the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers..