This is my cold water supply... It looks and feels like a lead pipe from the mains spliced onto old imperial copper piping..... Is this still ok? I thought lead was dangerous? 
My cold water supply
- Thread starter jedi
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Yup, looks like a wiped lead to copper connection
Lead can be dangerous, long term, if over a certain amount dissolves into the water. They are replacing lead as an ongoing process.
2 things you can do -
Lead can be dangerous, long term, if over a certain amount dissolves into the water. They are replacing lead as an ongoing process.
2 things you can do -
- Get the lead replaced
- Get your local council's EH to test the water and ensure that the dissolved levels in the water are acceptable
It's possible that your water company might run a lead replacement scheme. I had a new supply connected under our local scheme, in exchange for removing all the lead pipework from my house they connected to the main for free in mdpe plastic. I had to run the new rising main and mdpe to my boundary (and left some on to reach the new stop valve position) and they did the rest after a delay of a few weeks.
Lead is worse with soft water than with hard water.
Lead is worse with soft water than with hard water.
We have soft water
We also have a blocked paved driveway and the utilities stop cock is at the pavement side in our blocked paved area.
From utilities stop cock to our internal (which is under the hallway by the front door) is about a 3 meter run
Does that mean the driveway will have to come up. And do I have to pay for that bit?
There is tons off lead pipe under the hallway gas and water.... I could be quids in here
We also have a blocked paved driveway and the utilities stop cock is at the pavement side in our blocked paved area.
From utilities stop cock to our internal (which is under the hallway by the front door) is about a 3 meter run
Does that mean the driveway will have to come up. And do I have to pay for that bit?
There is tons off lead pipe under the hallway gas and water.... I could be quids in here
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Unfortunately yes the work inside the boundary is at the householder's expense
Fortunately I didn't have very far to go to the boundary as I live in a terrace very close to the pavement.
I would go with madrab's suggestion 2 in the first instance.
Fortunately I didn't have very far to go to the boundary as I live in a terrace very close to the pavement.
I would go with madrab's suggestion 2 in the first instance.
Testing is OK FWIW but lead is bad for you - all lead, even in tiny amounts.
No need for the driveway to come up.
Dig your trench to both sides of the driveway & you can then drive a long steel under the driveway hardcore using a sledge or lump hammer and a pipe wrench - hammer it & twist it, hammer it & twist it, and you'll soon have a mini tunnel for snaking the MDPE thro.
No need for the driveway to come up.
Dig your trench to both sides of the driveway & you can then drive a long steel under the driveway hardcore using a sledge or lump hammer and a pipe wrench - hammer it & twist it, hammer it & twist it, and you'll soon have a mini tunnel for snaking the MDPE thro.
N
Newboy
Checking of course that there are no other utilities in the way - driving a steel through a gas or mains electricity supply means that your driveway may come up in a more spectacular fashion than planned!
L
longdogs
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