Drinking water crises are making more consumers aware of the health risks that plumbing parts containing leachable substances pose. As a result, manufacturers of residential water system components, including faucet mixing valves and mixing cartridges, are under pressure to use safe and sustainable materials. As regulators in the EU and U.S. implement increasingly strict water contact safety standards, more manufacturers are turning to engineering thermoplastics, which, in addition to leaching zero lead, can substantially reduce production costs.