Archived press release

Lead in drinking water

8 July 1997

Millions of people in the UK are at risk from drinking water contaminated by lead above World Health Organisation safety levels, Friends of the Earth warned today. A recent report issued by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (part of the Department of the Environment,Transport and the Regions) revealed that almost 20 per cent of drinking water tests discovered lead levels above recommended World Health Organisation safety levels [see attachment 1]. This is despite the Drinking Water Inspectorate implying, in a report issued today, that over 99 per cent of water is safe [1].

Lead in water, even at very low levels, has been shown to restrict mental development in young children as well as being linked to high blood pressure, damage to the nervous system and possible cancer [2]. Friends of the Earth have called upon the Government to reduce lead levels in water to safe levels by the year 2010 [see attachment 2].

The Government, which has recently backed proposals to ban lead in petrol from 2005 [3],will need to force the water companies to spend up to £2 billion in removing their lead pipes and will need to consider how the £8 billion cost of replacing internal lead pipes in homes can be met [4]. An estimated 9 million homes are affected in total [5].

Mike Childs, Senior Pollution Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:

" We must help children reach their full potential in life, and that means not only giving them good schools but also reducing their exposure to chemicals which affect their mental development. Lead in water is a £10 billion challenge that the last Government ducked - the new Government must act to protect our kids'health rather than issuing misleading statistics."

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Drinking Water 1996, a report by the Chief Inspector Drinking Water Inspectorate, July 1996, HMSO.

[2] Lead in drinking water, Friends of the Earth, May 1990.

[3] EU Ministers agree road traffic pollution deal, Reuter, June 20th. For further information contact Roger HIgman, Friends of the Earth's Senior Campaigner in Atmosphere and Transport.

[4] Lords criticise Government over lead in drinking water, ENDS Report 257, June 1996

[5] At present local authorities only provide discretionary grants to householders for lead piping replacement.

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