President Trump issued 68 executive orders within the first month of assuming office for his second term. Here's what we know now.
The impact of tariffs is unforeseen at press time, but WaterWorld anticipates more info at the start of March. Executive Order entitled “Unleashing American Energy” (#14154) froze climate change and environmental justice funding after a whirlwind 24-hour news cycle of court challenges, a clarity memo, and a recission. Some states have reported the inability to obtain resources while others say they have no trouble.
The administration also has said that for every one new regulation, 10 regulations would have to be removed. How this will affect PFAS regulations or any others pertaining to the water industry is unclear. In fact, even the lawsuit brought by AWWA against EPA for the PFAS MCL has been delayed.
Furthermore, the White House administration faces legal challenges to some of these executive orders, so this will be an ongoing and developing situation as challenges make their way through the courts.
For a more detailed explanation of the above, listen to our Talking Under Water podcast episode at wwdmag.com/trump-one-month that recaps President Trump's first month back in office. You can also view the Federal Register, where all Executive Orders are documented online: https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents/executive-orders/donald-trump/2025.
By the time this issue goes to press, everything could change. Actions are moving at a mind-bending clip. WaterWorld editors try their best to keep water professionals updated with news to plan for the future and articles to enhance their day-to-day; a stable rudder in a roiling sea. So while much is uncertain and the chaos of the moment makes it hard to plan, we aimed to fill this magazine issue with practical articles balanced by an enriching cover story.
That cover feature is part of a series Kaitlin Spiridellis is writing for WaterWorld on her globetrotting trip to understand water the world over. View each leg of her world tour at https://www.waterworld.com/55263703 and listen to her podcast episode at wwdmag.com/world-of-water.
