In four of my recent surveys I’ve found that the mains water supply was via lead pipes. The building owners were unaware they were potentially drinking water with an increased lead content. The health risks of lead entering the body are well documented, so its worth checking your own supply. These pictures show some typical lead water supplies.
This may not be too much of a problem in hard water areas as scale and calcium build up inside the pipes can provide some level of separation between the water and the lead itself, but softer water areas don’t benefit from this. Replacement of the pipework can be costly, but worth it. More advice is available at the Drinking Water Inspectorate www.dwi.gov.uk.