Lead Pipes in an Older Home: How to Check and What to Do

Living in an older house in Clare, Sudbury or the surrounding villages? There’s a chance some of the water pipework is made of lead. Lead pipes aren’t allowed on drinking water supplies any more, but many were never taken out, and the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) says that if you have lead pipework, there will probably be some lead in your drinking water. Anglian Water says homes built before 1970 are more likely to have them. The good news is that checking is easy, there are simple steps to cut your exposure straight away, and replacing the pipe is the long-term fix.

How to check for lead pipes

1. Find your inside stopcock. It’s usually under the kitchen sink, in a cupboard or under the stairs. Our guide shows how to find your stopcock. Look at the pipe coming up out of the floor to it, because that’s normally the supply pipe from outside.
2. Look at the colour. Unpainted lead pipe is a dull, soft grey. Copper is orange-brown and plastic supply pipe is usually blue or black.
3. Look at the joints. Lead pipe often has rounded, swollen joints (sometimes called “wiped” joints) rather than neat brass compression fittings.
4. The coin test. If the pipe is easy and safe to reach, very lightly scratch a small spot with the edge of a coin. Lead shows shiny silver underneath. Don’t use a knife, file or saw, and don’t bend, knock or tap the pipe.
5. Check other exposed pipes. Look at visible cold pipework in the kitchen, airing cupboard or loft. Anglian Water also notes that copper pipes installed before 1987 are more likely to have been joined with lead solder.
6. Still unsure? Anglian Water offers lead testing for customers, so contact them to book one. If you’re with Essex & Suffolk Water, contact them about lead in your supply.

What to do straight away if you think you have lead

• Run the cold kitchen tap first. After water has stood in the pipes, for example overnight or after a holiday, run the cold tap before drinking or cooking. The DWI says a washing-up bowl full is normally enough; you’ll feel the water get colder as fresh mains water arrives. Use the run-off water on plants rather than wasting it.
• Drink and cook from the cold kitchen tap only. Hot water dissolves more lead, so never use the hot tap for drinks, cooking or baby feeds.
• Don’t disturb the pipe. The DWI warns that working on or knocking lead pipes can temporarily raise lead levels. If any work is done on a lead pipe, run the tap well afterwards, for at least 10 minutes.
• Extra care for babies, children and pregnancy. If you have young children or someone in the home is pregnant, get the pipes checked and tested sooner rather than later.

Who owns which pipe?

The pipe from the water main in the street to the outside or boundary stop tap (the “communication pipe”) belongs to the water company, which is Anglian Water or Essex & Suffolk Water locally. The pipe from that stop tap into your house (the “supply pipe”) and all the pipework inside belong to the property owner. If you rent, tell your landlord: Anglian Water points out that landlords are responsible for replacing lead pipe under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.

The outside stop tap can serve neighbours too and may need a special key, so don’t dig it up or force it. If you’re replacing your lead supply pipe, tell your water company. The DWI says they must replace their own lead communication pipe if it’s at risk of adding lead to your water, and Anglian Water explains how it handles lead replacements through its connections team.

Replacing lead pipework

• Replacing the lead pipe is the permanent fix. Flushing the tap only reduces the risk in the meantime.
• New pipework must meet the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999. That means approved materials and no lead solder on drinking water pipes.
• Replacing a supply pipe usually means digging a trench from the boundary to the house. That’s a job for a qualified plumber working alongside the water company, not a DIY job.
• Older brass fittings can also contain lead, so ask your plumber to check them while they’re there.

When to stop and call us

• You think your supply pipe or indoor pipes may be lead and you’d like them checked or replaced.
• A test has found lead and you need the supply pipe or internal pipework renewed.
• You’re planning a kitchen, bathroom or extension in an older house and want any lead found and removed at the same time.
• A lead or old pipe is leaking, weeping at a joint or has been damaged. Turn off the inside stopcock first, don’t force it if it’s stiff, and keep water away from electrics.

Our pipe repair and replacement and plumbing engineers can check and replace old pipework, and our emergency plumbing team can help day or night if an old pipe starts leaking. Worried about a leak on the water company’s side? See our outside stop tap guide and check whether your neighbours are affected too.

If a leak starts

Turn off the inside stopcock first. The outside or boundary stop tap is usually owned by the water company (Anglian Water or Essex & Suffolk Water) and may need a special key, so contact them about a leak on their side rather than digging or forcing it. A tripped RCD or MCB may be reset once from a dry spot with dry hands; if it trips again, leave it off and call a registered (Part P) electrician. Never touch electrics near water.

Smell gas or suspect carbon monoxide? Leave the property, open doors and windows if it’s safe, don’t use light switches or naked flames, turn the gas off at the meter only if it’s safe to do so, and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. Get medical advice if anyone has CO symptoms such as headaches, dizziness or nausea. Only a Gas Safe registered engineer may work on gas appliances; you can check an engineer on the Gas Safe Register.

Sources and further reading

• Drinking Water Inspectorate: lead in drinking water
• Anglian Water: how to check for lead in your home
• Anglian Water: getting a lead water pipe replaced
• Essex & Suffolk Water: lead pipes

This is general safety guidance. If you’re unsure, stop and call a qualified engineer.