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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Has anyone replaced a lead water pipe from mains to their house? Should I bother?

Hi

When we bought our house around 9 years ago, our survey showed up that we had a lead water pipe from the stopcock to the mains.   This was described as a "medium" concern that we should consider having replaced with non-lead piping.  Needless to say, I've done nothing about it.

We're just about to have our front garden re-tiled, and I'm wondering if I'm being a bit hasty with that work if I should really be having the lead water pipe dug up and replaced first.

We've got 3x small kids and I am (I think) being slightly paranoid that the pipe may cause lead in the drinking water which could be harmful for them.   I bought a water testing kit, which didn't seem to show any lead in the water - although I'm not sure how reliable it is. 

Has anyone else had similar issues or replaced a lead pipe coming into their house?  Even if not, any views on how risky a lead water pipe is would be appreciated.

Thanks

Ian

Tags for Forum Posts: lead water pipe removal

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Dick, you can check your recollection here - the whole 196-page report. Also the Government response here

I had largely forgotten that intake from food was then a significant source, from canned food back when cans were sealed with lead-containing solder rather than, as now, extruded in one piece. And from atmospheric lead (from leaded petrol) deposited direct onto leaf and fruit crops as well as absorbed from the soil. I do recall that for wine bottles the capsule protecting the cork was usually made of lead foil: a small leak of wine could produce (soluble) lead acetate. Prudent drinkers removed the foil and took a damp cloth to the bottle neck and cork before uncorking it.

Thanks Gordon for pulling up these references.  In our household we were especially interested to know how lead got into various crops that we wanted to grow in the garden. I am glad to say that my two sons who were both born and spent their formative years here in the 1980s, show none of the symptoms of lead poisoning listed by the NHS:  https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-...

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