There are various occasions when you’re abroad and you’re advised not to drink the tap water. However, is not an issue that normally you expect to face here in the UK. In fact, your drinking water could be in danger of contamination if you have a lead supply pipe carrying the water from the common supply pipe into your home.
What Could Put Lead in Your Water?
We now know that lead is poisonous, but in houses built or modernised before 1970 domestic water supply pipes were typically be made of lead. Therefore, if you currently live in one of these properties, your water supply could be coming through lead pipework.
Is your kitchen modern? If it’s essentially the same as it was pre-1970 then this increases the likelihood of you having a lead water supply pipe.
It may also be the case that copper piping has been connected using lead solder, which can also cause lead water contamination. This lead solder can still be used on central heating systems but should not be used where drinking water pipes are concerned, and it is in fact illegal to do so.
Should You Have a Lead Pipe Replacement?
The question is how dangerous can lead in your drinking water be? The designated safe maximum is 10 micrograms per litre. However, government advice is to reduce lead levels in drinking water wherever it is possible to do so.
Pregnant people and young children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of lead poisoning in drinking water.
So, if you want to be sure of your family’s safety and your own health, you should seriously consider replacing your lead supply pipe, even if you’re within the current permitted levels of lead in your water.
You can check for lead pipework by looking at the pipe leading to your kitchen tap. If its surface appears dull, or if it is soft to the touch, so that you can scrape its surface to reveal a silvery under layer, then it is made of lead.
Lead pipe replacement is straightforward and efficient. We use modern trenchless technology to do the work, minimising disruption to you. Don’t gamble with your family’s health, let us replace your lead pipes. Contact Pipeline Services today.
