Know What You're Buying: Is There Lead in Your Water Supply?

I don't know about you, but I'm quite particular about my cuppa. The right tea bag, the right mug, the water just off the boil.

But have you ever thought about where that water has come from, and what it has travelled through to reach your kettle?

More than bricks and mortar

When you buy a home, a survey is your chance to understand what you're really getting. Most buyers think of structural defects: cracks, damp, roofs and subsidence.

The services matter just as much. Water supply, gas, electrics and heating are all critical to your health and safety, yet they are often the parts buyers think about least.

Why older homes may have lead pipes

Until around 1970, lead was commonly used for the pipe that connects a home to the water main. Homes built before then are more likely to still have lead pipework, unless it has been replaced.

Many older homes have been modernised. But even where the internal plumbing has been updated, the underground supply pipe running under the garden or path may still be lead. In terraced streets, several houses can share one older supply pipe.

That matters in our area. Blackpool, the Fylde Coast and Preston have a lot of Victorian, Edwardian and inter-war housing.

Why it matters for your health

Water doesn't contain lead when it leaves the treatment works. It can pick lead up from old pipes on the way to your tap, especially after standing in them overnight.

UK health guidance says pregnant women, babies and young children are particularly sensitive to the harmful effects of lead. Boiling water does not remove it.

Signs your home may have lead pipes

• The property was built before 1970 and the plumbing hasn't been fully replaced
• The pipe coming in at your internal stop tap is dull grey and soft
• Scratching it gently shows shiny silver metal underneath
• Tapping it gives a dull thud rather than the ring of copper
• Joints look like rounded, bulbous swellings rather than neat fittings

What a survey can and can't tell you

An RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey is a visual, non-invasive inspection. Your surveyor will look at the services that can be seen, including the visible supply pipe at the stop tap, and flag anything that needs further investigation.

A survey doesn't test the water or dig up buried pipes. Where lead pipework is seen or suspected, we'll tell you and recommend the right next step before you commit to buy.

What to do if you find lead pipes

1. Contact your water supplier for advice. In the North West that's United Utilities, which can advise on testing.
2. Run the cold tap before drinking or cooking, especially first thing in the morning, to flush water that has been standing in the pipes.
3. Use a WaterSafe-approved plumber to replace lead pipework.
4. Ask about United Utilities' Lead Pipe Replacement Scheme. If you're accepted, it provides a free new connection from your boundary to the main once your own supply pipe is replaced.

If you're buying, ask the seller whether the supply pipe has been replaced, and factor any replacement cost into your offer.

Know what you're buying

At Abode Building Surveyors, we're local, regulated by RICS and we know the housing stock across Blackpool, the Fylde Coast, Preston and Lancaster.

Whether you need a Level 2 Home Survey, a Level 3 Building Survey, a valuation or an EPC, tell us about the property below and we'll be in touch with your quote.

This article is general guidance, not medical advice. If you have concerns about lead exposure, speak to your GP or call NHS 111.

Sources: Drinking Water Inspectorate, UKHSA, United Utilities.