Case Law Index
federal2020
Additional Highlights:Clean Water ActEnvironmental LawGroundwater
County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund
United States Supreme Court
Key Holding
The Clean Water Act requires a permit when pollutants are conveyed from a point source to navigable waters through groundwater, if the conveyance is the functional equivalent of a direct discharge.
Case Summary
County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund held that the Clean Water Act's permit requirement applies to discharges that reach navigable waters through groundwater, if that indirect discharge is the "functional equivalent" of a direct discharge from a point source into navigable waters.