Conduits (8)
I believe the answer is:
channels
'conduits' is the definition.
('channel' can be a synonym of 'conduit')
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for channels that I've seen before include "Passages for water or routes for communication" , "Television stations and passages of water" , "Straits" , "Official routes of communication" , "Parts that are deep enough for navigation by ships" .)