Are plumbers still using illegal lead solder in homes?

Lead solder, a metal alloy primarily made of tin and lead, is illegal to use on the plumbing in your house that is providing drinking water (which may include pipework, or plumbing fittings such as taps) as it poses a serious public health risk. If lead solder contaminates drinking water, it can cause lead poisoning, which is linked to developmental delays in children, as well as kidney damage, and heart and circulatory problems. 

Despite these risks, new research from Watersafe reveals that 94% of plumbers still carry lead solder in their tool bags when attending jobs.

While it is legal for use in closed-circuit heating systems, there are news calls on plumbers to only carry and use lead-free solder to avoid accidental use on drinking water pipes. 

The research found that plumbers continue to use lead solder in drinking water systems for a range of tasks, including jointing pipework supplying hot water taps (55%), repairing leaks in plumbing connected to taps and showers (53%), fixing leaks on water supply pipes to properties (52%), and even jointing pipework that directly supplies drinking water (50%).

Ros spoke to Rose Wilkinson, head of science at Anglian Water and Jerry Whitely, technical manager at the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering and qualified plumber.