County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund

The case asked whether the Clean Water Act can require a permit when pollution starts at a well or other point source but reaches the ocean only after moving through groundwater. On April 23, 2020, the Supreme Court resolved that question and explained when an indirect path through groundwater still triggers the federal permitting law.

The answer affects local governments, utilities, and other facilities that send wastewater underground near rivers, lakes, or the ocean. For example, a county sewer system may still need a permit if pollutants travel through groundwater before reaching coastal water.

The Supreme Court has finished this docket action. Regulators, local governments, and lower courts now must apply the Court's guidance to wastewater systems like Maui County's wells.

The fight was over whether a Clean Water Act permit is needed when pollution starts at a point source but reaches the ocean through groundwater.

It affects counties and facilities that inject or discharge wastewater underground near protected waters. Some may still face federal permit duties despite the indirect route.

The Supreme Court's part is over. Officials and lower courts must now apply the decision to Maui County's wells and similar systems.