Officials with Clean Water Action, an environmental group based in Washington D.C. are disappointed with the EPA and Army Corps Withdrawal of the Waters of the U.S. rule. Michael Kelly with Clean Water Action says the WOTUS repeal puts the nation’s drinking water and streams and wetlands at risk for 117 million Americans.

He says the EPA provided clarity of the Clean Water Act with their original WOTUS regulation.

Kelly says his group’s members will make their views known during the rulemaking process for the replacement regulation and will ask the EPA to reinstate the original WOTUS rule.

The process for repealing and replacing WOTUS is expected to take at least a year. This week EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt sent the WOTUS repeal to the federal register.