Letting your tap dribble the lead out?

lstar337

JC1440 wrote: »

Doesn't everyone run the tap for a short while to get the lead out in the morning?

No, our pipes are copper.

firefox1956

pops66 wrote: »

What??? Really? There are lead pipes in the mains system?

Yes....................

saveallmymoney

The mains system will be so fast flowing from all the use, I seriously doubt any measurable amount of lead will be absorbed.

Surely even with lead pipes in your house, the water would have to stand for some time for it to be a problem.

Otherwise the pipes would have dissolved by now??

Jonesya

You're evidently worried about it so here's a suggestion - if you have a shower and use the toilet when you get up, before you have breakfast then you'll have drawn at least 30+ litres of fresh water through the plumbing before you make your morning cuppa.

thozza

firefox1956 wrote: »

No point in changing your pipes........
In many areas the mains pipes are still lead.

Not according to the Drinking Water Inspectorate:-

'lead is not present in the water within our wider public water supply network'

however lead might be present in the connections between the public main and the property:

'before 1970, many smaller water pipes were made from lead. Although lead pipes have not been permitted for this purpose for four decades, in older properties it remains possible that part, or all, of the underground service pipe connecting the water main in the street to your kitchen tap may be made from lead. It is also possible that some original lead plumbing remains within older properties especially if the kitchen has not been modernised.'

from http://dwi.defra.gov.uk/consumers/advice-leaflets/lead.pdf

Many utilities companies have lead pipe replacement schemes (although the householder pays for the bit inside their boundary) e.g. for United Utilities in the North West:

http://www.unitedutilities.com/lead-pipes.aspx

Stompa

JC1440 wrote: »

Doesn't everyone run the tap for a short while to get the lead out in the morning?

Nope, I've never heard of that before.