Stop tap supply inside to house made of lead

Terry161157

Please please please can somebody help me, I have been told by Anglia Water that there's a leak under my driveway, the water bill is £655, the cost to fix the leak is £800 plus vat, I cannot afford the repair, so I begun trying to dig down to do it myself, I have only dug down 300mm and found the water main pipe, it's supposed to be 750mm min and 1350 max depth, so my question is why and how was the original pipe fitting allowed to have been installed at such a shallow depth, this has obviously had a detrimental effect on the pipe as my car is constantly being driven over it, I am tempted to go back to AW and tell them that it is not my fault that the pipe was fitted so shallow and therefore I should not be expected to do the fix at total cost to myself.... Has anybody else had a similar experience and what was the outcome?. I am really at the end of my tether.

stebiz

Terry161157 wrote: »

Please please please can somebody help me, I have been told by Anglia Water that there's a leak under my driveway, the water bill is £655, the cost to fix the leak is £800 plus vat, I cannot afford the repair, so I begun trying to dig down to do it myself, I have only dug down 300mm and found the water main pipe, it's supposed to be 750mm min and 1350 max depth, so my question is why and how was the original pipe fitting allowed to have been installed at such a shallow depth, this has obviously had a detrimental effect on the pipe as my car is constantly being driven over it, I am tempted to go back to AW and tell them that it is not my fault that the pipe was fitted so shallow and therefore I should not be expected to do the fix at total cost to myself.... Has anybody else had a similar experience and what was the outcome?. I am really at the end of my tether.

Might be a good idea to start a thread with what type of pipe it is and how old is the property.

Biggles

When we moved in here some years ago I was concerned as to whether my lead pipes were any kind of hazard.

The water company took two samples, specifying that one should be after the water had stood in the pipe overnight and one during daytime use, and tested them free of charge.

Neither showed any pollutants at all (we are in a hard water area).

sarahbazzaboo

I bought my first house in May 2013. It is a 1930's semi in a hard water area. The surveyors report made no mention of the potential of lead piping in the house, yet it did for the potential of asbestos.
I have since had work done on the Kitchen, a huge job as needed a while new concrete slab (in the extension part) due to damp. The workmen told me I had lead piping and should look at getting it tested. Northumbrian water have been and tested it and it is 45microgrammes per litre. The UK standard is 10.

To get it all replaced is going to set me back at least £1300.
I am really annoyed that this was not flagged as a potential in the surveyors report. Why are things like electricity and gas and asbestos flagged up yet not lead piping.

Or is this something blatantly obvious that I should have been aware of? I feel kind of stupid for not thinking about it, but not one person (including my mortgage advisor, who gave me all sorts of other advise, and solicitor, mentioned this could be an issue).

If I were to go back to the company that did the survey report, are they liable to help me further in anyway. Or could I claim this on insurance? If I had been aware of this I would have asked for more money of the value of the house. Thanks.

Gloomendoom

sarahbazzaboo wrote: »

I bought my first house in May 2013. It is a 1930's semi in a hard water area. The surveyors report made no mention of the potential of lead piping in the house, yet it did for the potential of asbestos.
I have since had work done on the Kitchen, a huge job as needed a while new concrete slab (in the extension part) due to damp. The workmen told me I had lead piping and should look at getting it tested. Northumbrian water have been and tested it and it is 45microgrammes per litre. The UK standard is 10.

To get it all replaced is going to set me back at least £1300.
I am really annoyed that this was not flagged as a potential in the surveyors report. Why are things like electricity and gas and asbestos flagged up yet not lead piping.

Or is this something blatantly obvious that I should have been aware of? I feel kind of stupid for not thinking about it, but not one person (including my mortgage advisor, who gave me all sorts of other advise, and solicitor, mentioned this could be an issue).

If I were to go back to the company that did the survey report, are they liable to help me further in anyway. Or could I claim this on insurance? If I had been aware of this I would have asked for more money of the value of the house. Thanks.

Have you actually read the previous posts in this thread?
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SailorSam

When i saw the thread i was about to add my sory and comment, but realised i'd already said it over a year ago.
Why has it been opened again after all this time, the OPs question was answered long ago.

sarahbazzaboo

Gloomendoom. Yes I have have read the thread.
I wouldn't just post something without reading the thread first. I can't see how the previous threads have an answer to my questions. I don't think a brita jug in a hard water area would make 45 microgramme water safer than the quality standard 10.

sarahbazzaboo

I am new to this, if I want to ask a question on the same topic do I have t open a new thread entirely or do I just continue on the same thread? If it hasn't been closed you an still comment and ask a question can't you?

EmmyLou30

Water companies add chemicals to the water that coat the inside of lead pipes to stop plumbosolvency occurring (where lead leaches into the water). So even if you have a house full of lead pipes they will be coated on the inside and pose no risk. All lead distribution pipes in roads have long since been replaced, there will only be individual houses pipes left which is such a short run of pipe anyway that even if they were uncoated I doubt they'd do any harm.

Biggles

EmmyLou30 wrote: »

Water companies add chemicals to the water that coat the inside of lead pipes to stop plumbosolvency occurring (where lead leaches into the water). So even if you have a house full of lead pipes they will be coated on the inside and pose no risk.

It'll reduce it, not stop it. If the level can be as high as 45μg/l, it hasn't reduced it enough.

You can run water off each morning before drinking as an interim measure http://dwi.defra.gov.uk/consumers/advice-leaflets/lead.pdf