Guide
Lead water pipes in old Cotswold houses
Short answer
A home built before 1970 may have lead water pipes. Look at the pipe by your inside stop tap: lead is dull grey and shows shiny metal when scraped. The DWI says lead pipes should be replaced as soon as possible. Until then, run the tap before you drink the water. Your water company can test it.
How to check for lead pipes
Find your inside stop tap, where the water pipe enters the house. The DWI says unpainted lead is dull grey, often with a swollen joint next to the tap.
Scrape the pipe gently with a coin. Lead shows a shiny, silver-coloured metal. Wear disposable gloves and do not breathe in the dust.
The pipe under the garden can be lead even if the pipes inside are copper. A plumber can check where the pipe enters the house.
Why lead matters
Lead can get into water that stands in lead pipes. The DWI says infants, unborn babies and children are at most risk, because lead can affect mental development.
You can ask your water company to test the water at your kitchen tap. If it finds lead, it should give you written advice.
What to do until the pipe is replaced
Cut the risk now with these steps from the DWI.
- Run the kitchen tap in the morning to clear water that stood overnight. About a washing-up bowl full is enough.
- Use that fresh water for drinking and cooking.
- After any work on a lead pipe, run the tap for at least 10 minutes.
Who replaces which pipe
You own the supply pipe from the outside stop valve to the house, and all the pipes inside. The water company owns the communication pipe from the main to the outside stop valve.
Thames Water replaces its lead pipe when you replace yours, if the home was built before 1970 and you replace your pipe within 3 months. Severn Trent connects your new pipe free if you meet its criteria.
Use a WaterSafe plumber, so you get a certificate. Severn Trent needs a WaterSafe plumber for a shared supply.
Lead in the Cotswolds
Many Cotswold homes are older than 1970, so lead pipes are possible. In Bourton-on-the-Water, Thames Water took about 400 extra samples in 2024 after it found lead pipework on some streets. It replaced its own lead pipes there.
Thames Water’s page says the owners are responsible for pipes on their own land and in their homes.
Questions
Are lead pipes still allowed?
The DWI says the use of lead pipes is now banned. Old lead pipes are still in some homes, and the DWI says they should be replaced as soon as possible.
Who should replace a lead pipe?
The DWI says to use a qualified plumber, such as one on WaterSafe, and to tell your water company. The company then replaces its own pipe if it is lead.
How long does a lead pipe replacement take?
Ask the plumber for a date for your part. Thames Water aims to replace its part within three months of you qualifying.