Houses built after 1963 usually have pipes made from copper or plastic. If you have a lead supply pipe or internal lead plumbing some lead may dissolve into your supply. The current regulatory standard for lead in drinking water is 10 micrograms per litre (equivalent to 10 parts per billion). There is no risk to health from lead at these levels, however, the Department of Health advises that levels should be kept as low as possible, particularly if you're pregnant or have young children.

Any schools that may have lead pipework can contact us and we will test the lead content in drinking water.

If your home has lead pipes there are some things you can do in the short term to reduce the amount of lead in your water.

1. Run the tap to remove water that has been standing in the pipes for long periods, for example, overnight, or if no one has run the taps for several hours.

2. Draw off a washing-up bowlful of water from the kitchen tap once or twice to clear the water which has been standing. This doesn’t need to be wasted, but can be used to water plants or the garden.

In the long term, replacing the pipes is the best solution.