Seven of the top 10 states with the most lead pipes carrying drinking water into homes are in the Great Lakes region, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Illinois and Chicago also have the dubious honors of being at the top of the lists as the state and city with the most lead pipes of anywhere in the country.
This means that millions of people drink and cook with water delivered through aging lead pipes. With water bills on the rise, many households are paying more for water that they don’t trust due to the threat of lead contamination. There is a sad irony to the fact that even though we sit on the shores of the largest freshwater lake system on Earth, residents may not be able to safely drink or afford the water coming from their taps.
