The FRESHER Act of 2025 makes changes to how the federal government regulates water pollution from oil and gas operations. Specifically, it removes certain regulatory requirements from the Federal Water Pollution Control Act that previously applied to stormwater runoff—the water that runs off from drilling and extraction sites during rain or other weather events. This means oil and gas companies will face fewer restrictions on how they manage and control this runoff water.

The bill also requires the Secretary of the Interior to study stormwater contamination in areas where oil and gas operations may be polluting water. This study needs to examine three things: what contaminants are actually present in the area, what's happening to groundwater resources, and how vulnerable underground water supplies (aquifers) are to pollution from oil and gas stormwater runoff. The Secretary has one year to complete this research and report the findings back to Congress.

In practical terms, this bill reduces environmental protections for water near oil and gas drilling sites while simultaneously ordering a study to understand the pollution problems in those same areas. People who rely on groundwater or live near oil and gas operations could potentially be affected if stormwater runoff contaminates their water supplies, though the actual impact will depend on what the study finds and how Congress responds to those findings.