Prospective homebuyers want to see greater transparency about lead in homes in pre-sale surveys, research by WaterSafe shows. The national survey found 82% of people believe it is important for home surveys to include checks for lead pipes, with almost half (48%) saying this is very important. Only 8% said such checks were not important.
Business owners also called for property surveys to check for lead pipes, with 50% saying it is very important and 42% saying it is fairly important. Only one per cent said it is not at all important.
The findings echo concerns recently raised by the Chief Inspector of the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), Marcus Rink, who said all fittings, taps and solder should be checked, in addition to pipes. He said: “Water supply elements should be included in homebuyers’ reports as standard, so when someone buys a property, they have clear information on the type of water supply, and whether there is any legacy lead in the property’s water system.”
Lead solder has been banned for use in drinking water systems for more than 30 years, yet cases continue to emerge where it has been used illegally, including in newly built or recently refurbished homes. Lead exposure is particularly harmful to children, affecting development, behaviour and long‑term health, and growing public awareness places increased pressure on the housing and plumbing sectors to ensure compliance and prevent illegal materials from entering drinking water systems.
Jonathan Samuel, MD of WaterSafe, comments: “The public is sending a very clear message: they want lead risks identified before they buy a home or business property, and they expect action when lead pipes or illegal lead solder are found. Including these checks in surveys would give people the information they need to make safe decisions.”
“I advise home and business owners to always use a WaterSafe‑registered plumber and to check which materials plumbers are using. Our research shows that WaterSafe plumbers are far less likely to carry or use leaded solder or materials in their tool bag and are more aware of the health risks than the general plumber population.
“If you are having plumbing work carried out, always ask your plumber if they are using lead-free materials.”
Although leaded solder can still be used legally on closed‑circuit heating systems, WaterSafe is urging all plumbers to pledge to carry and use only lead‑free solder to avoid potentially harmful mistakes.
More advice and the lead-free plumber pledge can be found at watersafe.org.uk/lead-free.
