Lead water pipes: how to tell, whose pipe it is and what replacement involves

Lead was used for water pipes in British homes for a long time. Most has been replaced, but some older houses still have a lead pipe somewhere between the water main in the street and the kitchen tap. This guide explains how to tell, who is responsible for which part, and what to ask your water company. It does not tell you how to replace a lead pipe yourself, because that is not a householder job.

Could your home have lead pipes?

The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), which regulates drinking water in England and Wales, has a page on lead in drinking water. It says that if your home was built:

• "before 1970 – it may have lead pipes";
• "after 1970 – it is unlikely to have lead pipes".

Age is only a guide. A newer house can have been connected to an older lead pipe, and an older house may have had its pipes replaced.

How to check

Start at your internal stop tap, usually under the kitchen sink or where the water pipe comes up through the floor. Our guide to stopcocks and water meters helps you find it.

DWI says "Unpainted lead pipes appear dull grey and often have a swollen joint next to the tap." Other clues people use:

• Lead is soft. Scratching it gently with a coin shows a shiny silver colour under the grey. Copper shows copper-coloured, and plastic is obviously plastic.
• Joints on lead pipe are often rounded, bulbous lumps rather than neat fittings.

Be gentle. Do not dig, cut, bend or twist the pipe to find out. If you are not sure, a plumber can tell you, and your water company may be able to tell you what its records show about the pipe in the street.

Check any pipe you can see in the loft, under floors or at the cold water cistern too, if you have one.

Whose pipe is it?

The pipe that brings water to your home is usually in two parts, with a stop valve between them, often in the pavement.

DWI describes them like this:

• The communication pipe is the part "that links the water main in the street to the stop valve outside your property". It belongs to the water company.
• The supply pipe (also called the private pipe) runs "from the stop valve outside your property" to your home. It is "the responsibility of the owner".
• Inside, "All the plumbing inside your home to the kitchen tap is the responsibility of the property owner."

CCW, the consumer body for water in England and Wales, explains the same split in its FAQ on who is responsible for water pipes. It also notes that where a supply pipe is shared by several properties, it becomes the joint responsibility of all the owners connected to it.

So a house can have lead in the company's part, in the owner's part, or both. The arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland are different, so check with Scottish Water or NI Water.

What DWI advises

From the DWI page:

• Running the tap. If water has been standing in the pipes, for example overnight or after a holiday, DWI advises you to "run the tap to clear any water that has been standing in the pipework". It says "A washing up bowl full is normally enough." Use that water for the garden or cleaning rather than pouring it away.
• Testing. DWI says "you can ask your water company to test the water at your kitchen tap."
• Replacement. DWI says that "if there are lead pipes or another source of lead present, these should be replaced as soon as possible."
• Who to use. DWI recommends employing a qualified plumber, for example one accredited through WaterSafe, and says "you should also notify your water company".
• The company's part. DWI's page also describes the water company's legal duty to replace its own communication pipe where it is lead, in the circumstances the page sets out. Read the page itself for the exact wording.

DWI also explains that water companies treat the water to reduce the amount of lead it picks up. That reduces the risk; it does not remove the lead pipe.

We do not give health advice or lead figures here. If you are worried, especially if you are pregnant or have a baby or young children in the house, speak to your water company and your GP or health visitor.

What replacement involves

Replacing the owner's supply pipe usually means digging a trench, or using a moling technique, from the boundary stop valve to the house, laying a new pipe, and connecting it inside. It may cross a garden, a drive or a path. The internal pipework may need replacing too.

Why this is a plumber's job:

• the new pipe must be suitable for drinking water and laid to the water fittings rules, including depth and protection from frost;
• the connection at the boundary involves the water company's stop valve;
• the water company should be told, and it may want to replace its part at the same time.

Practical steps:

1. Contact your water company first. Ask what it knows about the pipe, whether it will test your water, and whether it will replace its communication pipe if you replace yours. Ask whether it has any arrangements for lead pipe replacement in your area.
2. Get quotes from WaterSafe-registered plumbers. Our guide to hiring a plumber covers what to check.
3. If the supply pipe is shared, talk to the neighbours who share it before anyone starts digging.
4. Keep the paperwork. A buyer's surveyor may ask about it when you sell.

For more on how your water company handles complaints about taste, colour or quality, see water quality and hard water areas.

Is it safe to drink water from lead pipes?

DWI says lead pipes should be replaced as soon as possible and advises running the tap to clear standing water. Ask your water company to test the water at your kitchen tap, and follow its advice.

Who pays to replace a lead supply pipe?

The owner is responsible for the supply pipe on their side of the boundary stop valve, and the water company for its communication pipe. Ask your water company whether it will replace its part when you replace yours.

Can I replace a lead pipe myself?

We do not recommend it. DWI recommends using a qualified plumber, such as one accredited through WaterSafe, and telling your water company.