Is there lead in my water?

Lead isn’t normally present in raw, untreated water sources (rivers, lakes, reservoirs). Significant concentrations can be found in drinking water if lead service (communication and supply) pipes, or copper pipes with lead solder joints and occasionally domestic water fittings, have been used in the domestic plumbing system.

The maximum Prescribed Concentration or Value (PCV) for lead is 10 microgrammes per litre (10ugPb/l). We must meet a strict standard on the level of lead in drinking water.

The health risks associated with exposure to lead are well known. Lead is a harmful toxic heavy metal; its toxicity most frequently results from ingestion (drinking or eating) or inhalation. 

Short-term exposure to high levels of lead can cause a metallic taste and symptoms of abdominal pain, sickness, loss of appetite, low blood pressure, and kidney and liver damage.

Long-term exposure may cause headaches, irritability, tiredness, and muscle fatigue. It can also affect brain development in the unborn and children up to 10 years old. Those who are pregnant and young children are therefore more at risk from lead than adults, although lead poisoning in adults can lead to serious illness.

Lead is a cumulative toxin. This means that concentrations of lead within the body, especially in the teeth, bones and some internal organs, can build up over time. It is therefore sensible to ensure that exposures to lead are kept to a minimum.

Read the Public Health England guidance for more information on the effects of lead.

If there is a level of lead in your drinking water (determined by sampling and analysis) it is most likely to be due to the service pipes to your property. Service pipes are the pipes that carry water from the water main in your street to your property. The service pipe is made up of two parts – the communication pipe and the supply pipe.

Southern Water is responsible for the water main in your street and the communication pipe up to, and including, the stopcock at the boundary of your property. The property owner is normally responsible for the supply pipe from the stopcock into the property and all the indoor plumbing. When we replace the communication pipe, we'll also offer to replace 10 metres of supply pipe, free of charge.

When replacing lead plumbing, the permanent solution is to replace all lead pipework with pipes made from safer materials. Remember:

• Copper and lead pipes should never used together.
• Lead solder shouldn't be used on copper pipes for drinking water.

If alternative, non-metallic pipework is used, electrical earthing should be checked by a qualified electrician.