Lead pipe
| Lead pipe | |
| Type | Pipe material |
|---|---|
| Status | No longer permitted for new work |
| Principal concern | Drinking water quality, not leakage |
| Regulation | Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 |
| Typical location | Supply pipes and internal plumbing in pre-1970 property |
Lead pipe was used for water supply pipes and internal plumbing in the United Kingdom until its use was discontinued during the 1970s. Large numbers of lead supply pipes remain in service in older properties. The dominant concern with lead pipe is drinking water quality rather than leakage: lead can dissolve into standing water, and lead in drinking water is regulated under the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016.[1] The Drinking Water Inspectorate publishes consumer information on lead and on how to establish whether a property has a lead supply.[2]
Identification[edit]
Lead pipe is dull grey, soft enough to be marked with a coin, and swells at joints where they have been wiped rather than made with a fitting. It gives a dull sound when tapped rather than the ring of copper. Where a lead supply pipe enters a property it is usually visible at the internal stopcock.
Ownership follows the same rule as any other service pipe: the length not vested in the water undertaker is the supply pipe and is the property owner's.[3] A lead communication pipe on the undertaker's side and a lead supply pipe on the owner's side are common on the same connection, and replacing only one of them leaves lead in the run.
Leakage behaviour[edit]
Lead is soft and ductile, so it tends to deform rather than fracture, and failures often present as slow weeps at joints, at points of past mechanical damage, or where the pipe has been crushed. It corrodes in some ground conditions, producing pinholes.
For detection this softness is a disadvantage: lead attenuates leak noise more than copper or steel, so acoustic signals are weaker than a metallic pipe would suggest. Lead is, however, detectable by conventional electromagnetic pipe location, unlike polyethylene.
Replacement[edit]
Replacement is normally in blue medium-density polyethylene to BS EN 12201,[4] which is the material used for new underground supply pipes. Water undertakers commonly operate lead replacement schemes for the length they own, and some contribute to replacement of the customer's supply pipe, but those are company policy rather than a statutory entitlement and the terms differ between undertakers.
Fittings and materials in contact with water must meet the requirements of Schedule 2 of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999.[5]
See also
References
- ^The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016. legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2026-09-05
- ^Drinking Water Inspectorate: learn more about your water. Drinking Water Inspectorate. Retrieved 2026-09-05
- ^The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, regulation 1: interpretation. legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2026-09-05
- ^BS EN 12201: Plastics piping systems for water supply, and for drainage and sewerage under pressure. Polyethylene (PE). Pipes. BSI. Retrieved 2026-09-05
- ^The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, Schedule 2: requirements for water fittings. legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2026-09-05