There is a hidden danger in our homes: lead is a ticking timebomb

Credit: Alamy

Yet our water systems face a hidden danger in the form of lead. Just last week, in my county of Norfolk, a Freedom of Information request exposed that elevated levels of lead were found in water supplied to Norfolk homes more than 50 times last year. Of the 2,250 tests Anglian Water carried out in 2024, it was found that 51 of them showed more than 10 micrograms of lead per litre. 

Sadly, contamination is not uncommon. Numerous studies confirm there are contamination hotspots across the UK, arising mainly from lead pipes, solder and leaded brass. The UK is home to the oldest housing stock in the world, full of copper and lead combinations of plumbing, the installation of which has been banned since the 1970s.

The UK is home to the oldest housing stock in the world, full of copper and lead combinations of plumbing

Lead pipes remain a measurable threat to UK health. In a 2022 study by The Water Professor, a company that sells water testing kits for home use, 6.2 per cent of the samples analysed contained lead at concentrations above the UK limit. 

There is a widespread misunderstanding in the idea that drinking water is safe if the lead content is within the limits specified in drinking water standards. But the World Health Organization has said “there is no safe limit for lead exposure” – even the smallest amounts.

In another 2022 study, a senior epidemiological scientist at the UK Health Security Agency concluded: “Public health action should consider targeting families more at risk in older housing by raising awareness of the potential presence of lead pipes and paint.”

The UK is consistently one of the biggest importers in Europe of sheet lead for roofing and flashings. When it rains, the water in contact with the lead on the roof becomes contaminated, runs into the gutters and down the drains. Lead-contaminated water is then discharged into local water courses. 

The European Chemicals Agency has warned about the toxic dangers of lead, concluding that “this substance may damage fertility or the unborn child, causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure with long-lasting effects and may cause cancer”.

Our water systems are not the only threat through this toxic metal – lead is all around. Overall, the annual costs attributed to lead poisoning in the UK is estimated at a staggering £121bn each year in health and societal costs, according to the Centre for British Progress.

Unicef has highlighted that childhood lead poisoning “can result in learning disabilities” and “affect children’s executive functioning, impulse control and levels of aggression”. It even described a potential link to violence and crime in adulthood.

The problems lie in detection: the UK’s surveillance system fails to spot 99.9 per cent of childhood lead poisoning cases. Public Health England has estimated that two per cent of children in the UK have lead poisoning, yet in 2022 only 191 cases of lead poisoning were identified and the UK Health Security Agency was notified of just 226 cases in 2023.

Government now needs joined-up planning. All lead pipes could be outlawed and replaced, as they are under devolved legislation in Scotland. Only this year, the Housing Ombudsman called for a survey of properties to assess levels of lead standardisation. This could and should be included in the Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors. Ensuring the guidance is updated on how households can protect themselves is also essential.

All the experts agree, and the evidence supports them: there is clear and present danger from lead, and it is a ticking timebomb which desperately needs to be addressed. This can only happen through government with a cross-Whitehall plan to address this costly and hidden danger. 

Terry Jermy, Labour MP for South West Norfolk

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