Anyone live in a Victorian house and being poisoned by lead pipes?

[bohemianbint]

I found out about 6 months ago that the pipes to our terrace are still lead. A chap came to check them out and said we had 4 choices:

1. Spend a couple of grand and tear up the ground floor of the house having new pipes put down.

2. Have a filter system fitted

3. Run a whole bowl of water and throw it away first thing in the morning or any time the water will have been sitting in the pipes for hours soaking up the lead.

4. Get cataracts and go doolally.

We've so far opted for number 3, which is a terrible waste of water but I'm really worried about particularly DS and I'm pregnant as well and don't want to be taking in loads of lead. I guess back in the day everyone just drank it and I don't know if there's been any research into the effects on people?

Anyone else have lead pipes; are you worried about it and what have you done about it?

We do. I go for a combination of (3) and (4). I think that all our internal piping is modern. It's just the bits that go between our house and the mains that are lead. As far as our wall, they are our responsibility, the remainder is the Water Board's (or whatever they are called).

Not sure whether to act. I assume if it was that dangerous the Water Board wouldn't be allowed not to replace theri bit.

I got really panicky when I first found out and asked the water guy if it was that big a deal, hoping he'd say no. But turns out after 4 years of working with lead he had cataracts...

my parents have an even older house and we've never had any problems - if you drink plenty of milk it will wash any excess lead out of your system anyway (painters used to have a pint of milk a day cos of the lead based paint they worked with)

I think if you use your taps regularly there's such a minimal amount of lead seepage into water that you need not worry. i would only bother running the taps if you had been away for a week or so

btw where did this chap come from? try asking your local environmental health officer who is likely to give you the most cost effective advice

BB - where do u live? Unless it's Glasgow or u drink water from the hot tap the risk is actually negligible (almost zero). I will Try 2 find a link 2 explain why...

When we moved into ours our water came from a narrow Victorian shared pipe along the back of a row of 10, which meant that at weekends when everybody was home in all the houses there was virtually no water pressure at all. It would certainly have been lead coming in to the house but I can't remember if any of the internal pipes were still lead too.

We switched to an individual supply pipe from the mains at the front - it comes in next to the front door and goes up the wall and then along the landing to the bathroom where our boiler is, and all the internal piping is now copper. We didn't do it because of the lead, it just needed doing anyway, but I think I would have shelled out for changing even if the other bits hadn't needed doing.

HTH

we have lead piping from the street to the house

have you actually had a test done? the council should do them for free

we did, the amount of lead getting through is REALLY low. Even if we don't run it off, which we do.

Also bear in mind, you are probably using a lot of water in the mornings without drinking any. you probably flush the toilet several times, and atm you probably have central heating coming on. We also shove a load of laundry on when we wake up.

For drinking water we have a basic filter

also we always run off the hot tap for about 2 minutes extra if we are using it in the morning-lead dissoles more in hot water (like most things)

Drinking water inspectorate on lead in water

If you have hard water the lead won't leach in, because of the chemistry (pH) and the fact the water is saturated with Calcium already.
Anglia water suggest running the taps if they've stood overnight, but otherwise explains why the risk is low in hard water areas as long as you only drink from the cold tap.

I think our water is soft - we live in Manchester. I might see if the council will check it for us. I think it was a bloke from the water board who came round just to confirm the pipes were lead and to give us a quote to replace them. The other problem with replacing them is that the pipe will have to go somewhere where it's really obvious and will look awful.

I wouldn't worry too much.I'm nearly 40 & have nearly always lived in old houses with lead piping,as have all my extended family.We're all fine.I've probably ingested more lead through removing old paint than I have v ia the water pipes.

Thanks everyone for all the replies!