There have been recent press articles about lead pipes for water supplies in various parts of the country and we received some inquiries for residents about Marley Grange. MGRA have contacted Irish water who have confirmed, see below, that there are no lead pipes in the main water mains in the estate. Given that they were built in the mid-1970s, it is very unlikely that houses in the estate would have lead water pipes internally. The following link gives advice on how to check for lead piping in one’s house:
Below is the letter contents we received from Irish Water:
Thank you for your email regarding the possibility of lead pipes in your estate.
I have looked into your query and can confirm that there are no lead pipes in the main water network in the estate. These are composed of 4” or 6” uPVC pipes. The following information will advise you how to check for lead on your private pipes:
If you have concerns about the potential presence of lead in your water supply, there are several steps which Irish Water and the Local Authorities will take, in conjunction with the owner of the affected premises:
The first step we recommend to our customers is that they engage a qualified plumber to check their in-house and in-garden pipework for lead composition.
If it is determined that these are not lead, then Irish Water will be satisfied that the customer has no problem of lead in their water.
If it is determined that this pipework contains lead, then the customer must arrange to have the lead plumbing and lead pipework replaced with polyethylene pipework.
Following this step, we would then require that the customer obtain certification from their plumber that all private-side lead has been replaced.
We would then need the customer to contact Irish Water, and we will in turn inform the Local Authority, who will inspect and verify that all private-side lead has been replaced.
The Local Authority will then excavate the public-side to check for lead composition.
If lead cannot be detected, then Irish Water will be satisfied that the customer has no problem of lead in their water.
If lead is detected, then the Local Authority will replace the public-side lead pipework with polyethylene pipework. After this step, Irish Water will be satisfied that the customer has no problem of lead in their water.
As per the above process, Irish Water will only intervene when we have verified that there is no lead present on the private-side pipework/plumbing. If elevated lead levels are encountered at a customer’s property, we would still require the customer to carry out the initial investigations and replacement where appropriate before Irish Water will intervene.
I hope you find this information helpful. If you have any further queries you can visit our Questions and Answers here. Alternatively you can reach us by using any of the contact details below.
Yours sincerely,
Customer Service
Uisce Éireann
Bosca OP 860, Oifig Sheachadta na Cathrach Theas, Cathair Chorcaí, Éire
Irish Water
PO Box 860, South City Delivery Office, Cork City, Ireland
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