Do you know if your cold water main is made of lead? Do you know the effects of lead in the water?
If you live in a building that was built before 1970 then it’s possible that you have a lead water pipe as your cold main supply pipe. Having lead in your drinking water has been proven to be a health hazard, particularly for small children and for those who are pregnant. It has been recently proven that soft water breaks down lead quicker than in hard water areas. If you live in Chester or Wales you live in a soft water area. A simple way to check if you live in a hard or soft water area is to enter your postcode on this site.
There are some simple steps you can take to reduce the amount of lead in your water if you do have a lead pipe.
- Drinking water that has been standing in a lead pipe for any length of time increases the risk of having lead in the water. Make sure you run the tap for 2 minutes each morning and when you return home before drinking the water. Running a shower or flushing a couple of toilets will do as well because you can use the water for other things instead of consuming it.
- Fit a water filter to your drinking tap. Certain water filters can significantly reduce the levels of lead in your water. You must remember to replace the filter as per manufacturer’s instructions otherwise the filter will lose its effectiveness.
- Replace the lead pipe. This option is the best option to completely remove the risk of having lead in your water.
If you have any questions regarding removing lead from your drinking water then get in touch with Pavlou Plumbers. 01244 88 88 01
