How common are lead pipes in Sheffield?

[bluecanary 13]

Thanks for all the helpful answers. Sounds like surveyors are trying to cover themselves rather than ther being any real health risk! Sign of the times, I guess....

[Aries22 10]

Make sure you keep your house warm, as my grandmothers house always had a burst pipe in winter. No central heating in those days.

[gnvqsos 10]

Make sure you keep your house warm, as my grandmothers house always had a burst pipe in winter. No central heating in those days.

 

You can lag pipes cheaply.

[YorksWater 10]

Every year, we take tens of thousands of clean water samples from across the region. Earlier this year, we started a programme of work to replace lead clean water communication pipes where levels of lead are above the new requirements, which will be applied from April 2013. We're only responsible for the section of pipe from the road up to the boundary of customers homes, so where we find lead supplies, we always tell customers and provide them with the contact details of a contractor in case they wish to replace their section.

 

We're investing £18million in Leeds replacing lead supply pipes as investigations have identified this as an area with a high number of lead pipes.

 

For more information this please visit -

http://www.yorkshirewater.com/your-water-services/local-improvements/improving-your-water-quality/lead-pipe-replacement.aspx

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

So are you stating (authoritatively) that lead pipes in Sheffield are- or are not- potentially dangerous?

[gnvqsos 10]

So are you stating (authoritatively) that lead pipes in Sheffield are- or are not- potentially dangerous?

 

What danger do you foresee?

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

Ingestion of lead/mercury/cadmium can cause severe and irreparable illnesses (remember Minimata?)

I do not 'foresee' anything, but YW might reasonably have information rather more accurate than any other SF members!

[bluecanary 13]

JefffreyShaw - Can I just raise the question I asked in my earlier post:

 

Your post implies that the health risks are real and significant.

 

I'm not necesarily disagreeing with you, but if this is the case, does this not mean that a large proportion of the population of Sheffield, let alone many other cities and towns throughout the country, are at risk of lead poisoning? Why hasn't there been a public outcry/awareness campaign if this is the case? Are there actually documented cases of lead poisoning that can be attributed to this issue?

 

Until recently, it was common for people to live in the same houses all their lives, so exposure would have occurred over many decades. I would have thought there would be many examples resulting from long term exposure if the risk was really significant.

 

In response to your question to YWater, I'm obviously not privy to the same information they have, but I do know that it's scientifically impossible to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that ANYTHING is 100% safe. All we can do is make an informed judgement based on the evidence that we have. So to the best of your knowledge, have there been outbreaks of lead poisoning caused by the presence of lead in domestic water pipes in this country?

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

As I'm neither a doctor nor a specialist in metal poisoning, I'm afraid that I cannot answer your question (valid though it is).

[dan2802 53]

Thanks for all the helpful answers. Sounds like surveyors are trying to cover themselves rather than ther being any real health risk! Sign of the times, I guess....

 

Correct. Surveyors are a nightmare with the housing market at the moment.

[Bruce_Shark 10]

As I'm neither a doctor nor a specialist in metal poisoning, I'm afraid that I cannot answer your question (valid though it is).

 

Now this is obviously true, but do you think that the increased interest in this field by certain sections of the law community may lead to an additional financial burden on this sector?

 

Additionally, do you foresee any potential increase in financial burden will be solely be born by vendors, or might this impact on the subsequent sale price, and a further increase which has to be born by the purchaser?

 

Finally, if this additional financial strain on all parties is out of all proportion to the supposed "health benefits" or "risks", will those same self interested sections of the law community still sleep well at night?

[dan2802 53]

Lawyers jumping on a band wagon to make money, what ever next?

Sorry Jeffrey.