What Does the Recent WOTUS Rule Change Mean for Your Projects?
As NAHBNow previously reported, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the agencies) recently halted implementation of the "waters of the U.S." (WOTUS) regulatory definition as finalized under the Trump administration's Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR), reverting back to a pre-2015 WOTUS regulatory definition.
The Sept. 3 announcement was an abrupt reversal because the agencies had previously committed to a series of public hearings, followed by a two-step federal rulemaking process, during which time the WOTUS regulatory definition as finalized under the NWPR was to remain in effect nationwide.
To help builders and developers understand how to move forward with ongoing or planned projects, NAHB developed FAQs to provide interim (unofficial) guidance based upon the Clean Water Act (CWA) statute, existing regulatory guidance documents, and past practices by the agencies during previous instances of changing interpretations of the WOTUS regulatory definition.
NAHB will continue to press the agencies for additional guidance concerning the status of the ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona to vacate the NWPR, timing of expected field hearings by the agencies on a new WOTUS definition, and a timeframe for when the Biden administration will propose a new WOTUS regulatory definition under the CWA.
You can access the WOTUS FAQs on nahb.org. For more information, contact Mike Mittelholzer.
Latest from NAHBNow
Sep 02, 2025
NAHB International Builders’ Show Registration Opens for Final Time in OrlandoThe National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) officially opened online registration and housing today for the 2026 NAHB International Builders’ Show@reg; (IBS), the largest annual light construction trade show in the world.
Sep 02, 2025
Single-Family Construction Down in Large Metros, Up in Rural AreasIn a sign of a soft housing market, single-family construction posted declines in nearly every geographic region in the second quarter of 2025, with the largest percentage drop of 3.8% occurring in large metro, suburban counties where most permit activity occurs. And while multifamily output also fell in large metro core counties, most other markets posted multifamily growth in the second quarter, according to the latest NAHB Home Building Geography Index (HGBI) for the second quarter of 2025 released today.
Latest Economic News
Aug 29, 2025
Multifamily Absorption Rises in the Second QuarterThe percentage of new apartment units that were absorbed within three months after completion rose in the second quarter, according to the Census Bureau’s latest release of the Survey of Market Absorption of New Multifamily Units (SOMA).
Aug 28, 2025
Mortgage Rates Move Lower, Hitting 10-Month LowAverage mortgage rates in August continued their steady decline and are now at their lowest rate since last November.
Aug 27, 2025
Wood-Framed Home Share Increased in 2024Wood framing continues to dominate the U.S. single-family home construction market, according to NAHB analysis of 2024 Census Bureau data.