Why lead pipes are worth replacing
Lead was the standard material for water supply pipes until the late 1960s, so plenty of older houses in Harpenden and the surrounding area still have one. Small amounts of lead can dissolve into drinking water as it passes through, and there is no safe level of lead exposure — which is why water suppliers and health guidance both encourage replacement.
There is a practical benefit too. Lead supply pipes are narrow by modern standards, and decades of internal corrosion narrow them further. A new plastic supply pipe is wider and smooth-bored, so flow at the taps often improves noticeably — something owners of older homes notice straight away.
How to tell if yours is lead
Find the pipe where the water supply enters your home, usually at the internal stopcock under the kitchen sink. Lead is dull grey, soft enough to scratch with a coin — revealing shiny silver metal underneath — and the joints are swollen rather than threaded. Copper is brownish and hard; modern plastic is usually blue or black.
If you are not sure, we can confirm it when we visit. Your water supplier can also tell you whether their side of the supply is lead, and some will test your water for lead on request.
What replacement involves
The supply pipe runs from the boundary of your property to the internal stopcock, and replacing it means laying a new plastic pipe along that route. Depending on the garden and driveway, that can be dug as a narrow trench or, where conditions allow, pulled through with moling equipment that leaves far less disturbance.
Once the new pipe is in and connected to your internal plumbing, the ground is reinstated and the system flushed and checked. We describe the work generally here because every property's route is different — the survey is where we tell you exactly what yours involves.
Who is responsible for what
You own the supply pipe from your property boundary to your home; the water company owns the communication pipe from the main in the street to your boundary. If you replace your lead supply pipe, it is worth asking your supplier about their side — many run lead replacement schemes and will replace their section, sometimes at reduced cost or free, when the homeowner replaces theirs.
We can explain the sequence and what to ask for, so both halves of the job happen in the right order. For internal pipework renewal, our plumbing services page covers the wider picture.
Areas we cover
We replace lead supply pipes across Harpenden, St Albans, Wheathampstead, Redbourn, Luton and Hemel Hempstead. Our areas we cover page lists everywhere we work.