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Lead pipes and lead in your water

Lead was historically used a lot in petrol, paint and water pipes, but in 1970 the government banned the use of lead in water pipes. This decision was made due to evidence that exposure over a period of time can have health implications, with the greatest risk being to children under six and pregnant women. 

Our water mains are not made from lead and the water that leaves our treatment works contains virtually no lead. However, water may pick up lead as it passes through any lead pipes within a customer’s property, or when it passes through the pipe that connects the property to our water main in the street.

    Could you have lead pipes?

  • Lead pipes may be in your home or property boundary regardless of if you are fed by a single supply or a common supply. You can find more about water supply pipes and pipe responsibility here. 
  • Properties built after 1970 will not have lead pipes due to the law and regulations set by the government.
  • Any properties built before 1970 may still have lead pipework; your supply pipe, the underground pipe that connects your home to the public water mains, and there's a chance that there might be some lead pipes inside your home.


Here are some steps to identify lead pipes

You can read the steps below, or click here to take a look at our handy lead factsheet. Alternatively we have a short video for you to watch at the bottom of the page, alongside some helpful resources from the Drinking Water Inspectorate, GOV.UK and others.

Find your internal stop tap, usually behind the cupboards in your kitchen or a downstairs toilet. This will be where the water first comes into the property. Now, carry out the below checks to determine if your pipes are lead:

Grey in appearance

Unpainted lead pipes appear a dull grey colour.

Swollen joints

There is often a swollen joint next to the tap if there is lead pipework.

Tap the pipe

Tap the pipe with a metal object. Lead makes a dull thud; other metals make a clear ringing.

The coin test

Gently scrape the pipe with a coin, a shiny silver metal will be beneath.

If you’re still unsure, ask a plumber for a second opinion. We can help you find a plumber here.

Top tips to minimise the risk of lead pipes

Wrench icon

If you have lead pipes the best way to eliminate the risk is to make an application onto our Lead Replacement Scheme, once accepted you can get them replaced by a WaterSafe approved plumber.

Click here to find out more

Run the cold kitchen tap

In the morning run the cold kitchen tap to fill a wash bowl, this will flush out any standing water from the pipes. Reuse this to water the plants.

Flush the toilet to clear

Flush the loo, this will also do the job of clearing any water that has been standing in the pipes.

Food and drink preparation

Only use water from the kitchen cold tap for food and drink preparation.

Avoid knocking the pipes

Do your best not to knock or disturb lead pipes, as this can increase lead in your water.

 Some further things to consider:

  • Boiling the water doesn’t help and will not remove lead content.

  • Some of this advice may not be effective if the underground pipe that brings water your home is over 30m long.

  • If you decide to give infants bottled water, or use it for preparing infant formula, ensure that it contains less than 200mg per litre of sodium, sometimes written as ‘Na’. Check the bottle label for details. You should also make sure that you follow the instructions on the infant formula regarding boiling water to sterilise the formula.  ​

 

Identifying lead pipes and actions you can take

If you do have lead pipes, there’s plenty you can do to minimise the risks to you and your family.

Lead in drinking water

The Drinking Water Inspectorate have produced an article

Lead poisoning advice

GOV.UK have a guide for public & healthcare professionals

Risks, monitoring & correction

The World Health Organization have created a lead technical brief

Lead in water FAQs

WaterSafe have pulled together some handy FAQs

Working safely with lead

The Health and Safety Executive have pulled together some useful information