Safe conduits for water are crucial. In 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency reported there were nearly 500,000 lead service lines in New York state that could contain dangerous levels of lead in water. But efforts are underway to change that. 

Health experts say toxicity of lead in drinking water can lead to an array of health problems, and are especially harmful to pregnant women and children under 6.

The city of Troy is rolling out an aggressive program to identifying and replace thousands of lead pipe connections.