If your home was built before 1970, there’s a chance it will have lead pipes. Lead from these pipes can seep into the water you drink which, over a very long period, can be harmful.
As the homeowner, it’s your responsibility to replace lead pipes within the boundary of your property and we are here to help.
Here to help.
Certified Engineers.
As Seven Trent and Watermark approved professional engineers, we can carry out the necessary underground work to replace your lead pipes as part of their ‘Lead Replacement Scheme’.
Replacing your lead pipes will ensure your water supply is clean and contaminant free for you and your family.
Peace of mind.
Lead Replacement
If your home was built before 1970, there’s a chance it will have lead pipes. Lead from these pipes can seep into the water you drink which, over a very long period, can be harmful. With increasing evidence regarding the damage that could be done by ingesting lead, across the UK and European continent lead piping has been banned in new builds since 1970, due to the health risk of lead building up in the human body, with young children and infants being most at risk. The use of lead has also been prohibited in a variety of products, including paints and petrol.
Checking your home for lead pipework
Depending on the age of your home, lead water pipes are likely to run from your water company’s main stop cock (just outside your property’s boundary), to the stop cock inside your house. This can usually be found under the kitchen sink, or in a downstairs toilet. In older properties, the lead pipework may even stretch to your downstairs kitchen cold water tap.
The areas to check for lead pipework are under the kitchen sink, before it disappears underground. Or outside, where the pipe to your home branches from the water company’s main pipe. If lead, the pipe will be soft, and a dull grey colour. Using a coin or kitchen knife, scrape the pipe, if the underlying colour is shiny silver, the pipe is lead. Scratching lead pipes can produce some small amounts of lead dust. Lead dust can be harmful if breathed in, so pleased take care if you carry out this pipe test. It is worth wearing a face mask if possible.
Replacing the old lead pipework in your home
As the homeowner, it’s your responsibility to replace lead pipes within the boundary of your property and we are here to help. Whilst it is not a legal requirement to have your lead pipes replaced, Severn Trent highly recommend homeowners replace lead with a safer and less corroding pipe system. Not only are they harmful to health, but old water pipes are also prone to developing leaks in the future which makes replacing the system a much easier and cost-effective solution in the long-run.
If you live in the Nottingham and East Midlands area then Severn Trent’s ‘Lead Replacement Scheme’ could help you to install new pipes. As Severn Trent & Watermark approved professional engineers, we can carry out the necessary underground work to replace your lead pipes as part of this scheme, ensuring your water supply is clean and contaminant free.
Independent Water Solutions can arrange a visit to survey your home’s pipework to determine how much is lead, what needs replacing, and the condition of the remaining pipework. Because the pipework runs underground from the main to your house, the job will require some trench work, and we can arrange with you the best time to undertake the work with minimum disruption to your daily routine.
Find out more about Severn Trent’s ‘Lead Replacement Scheme’ here: https://www.stwater.co.uk/help-and-contact/legal/customer-guide-to-replacing-lead-pipes/