Water quality: lead

There is no lead in the water when it leaves our treatment works. However, in some areas the pipework connecting our water mains to your kitchen tap can be made of lead, which may result in a higher level of lead being present in your tap water .

Where we have identified areas with higher levels of lead, we carry out treatment so that less lead dissolves into the water.

Does your home contain lead pipes?

You can find out by locating the pipe that leads to your kitchen tap. When a lead pipe is scraped gently with a knife, a shiny silver-coloured mark will appear.

What should you do if you are concerned?

We are confident that for the vast majority of homes the level of lead in the water is well below the government standard. If you do have lead pipes, running the tap for a few seconds to draw fresh water from our mains will reduce the concentration of lead in the drinking water.

Further information:

Click here to download our 'Lead Pipes an information guide' leaflet. (PDF 1.40MB)