Bountiful supplies of potable water were touted as wonders of the New World in a Renaissance Europe troubled by large-scale pollution and water scarcity. But within one hundred years of the establishment of colonies in America, contamination and excessive exploitation of water resources led to disease and crises. Modern public water systems evolved from a need to make the nationβs abundant resources safe and accessible. The experience in New York is emblematic of the chain of events leading to creation of regulated municipal water systems in all major cities across the United States.