Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that water companies assess the levels of lead in domestic drinking water supplies.

Lead pipes have not been permitted since 1970, but they may be present in older properties.

To reduce the risk of lead leaching into water, water companies treat the water with orthophosphate which reduces the problem significantly. Any failure of the lead standard of 10 micrograms per litre is investigated thoroughly by water companies with resamples being taken. Failures of the standard are generally caused by internal lead pipework and fittings which are the responsibility of the owner.

In Defra’s Strategic Policy Statement to Ofwat, we supported action by the water industry to trial approaches to reduce exposure to lead which have been agreed in water companies’ business plans for 2025-2030. Two Green Recovery projects, approved by Ofwat, are also trialling replacement of customer supply pipes made of lead.

On public drinking water – the Drinking Water Inspectorate are the body who provide the independent assurance that public drinking water supplies are safe.

Drinking water for the human consumer remains safe as it is tested and appropriately treated before distribution to the tap, so the human health risk from drinking water remains very low.