Homes built before 1970 are the most likely to still have some lead pipework. A few simple checks at the stop tap will tell you most of what you need to know. Check your postcode for your zone’s measured lead level, then check your property’s likelihood.
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You cannot tell for certain from your postcode alone, but two things put the odds up sharply: a home built before 1970, and pipework that has never been fully replaced. If both are true, there is a real chance that the supply pipe from the street, or some of the internal plumbing, is lead. The good news is that a handful of simple checks at home will tell you most of what you need to know in a few minutes — no plumber required.
Find the pipe where the water supply enters your home. In most UK houses this is under the kitchen sink, near the internal stop tap (stopcock), or in a downstairs cupboard, cellar or where the pipe comes up through the floor. Then run these three checks on it:
Lead pipes are also usually joined with rounded, bulbous soldered joints rather than the sharp compression fittings used on copper. If the scratch reveals shiny silver and the magnet does not stick, treat it as likely lead until confirmed.
Lead was the standard material for water supply pipes in the UK until around 1970, and its use in new plumbing and lead-based solder was effectively banned from the late 1980s. As a rough guide: homes built before 1970 are the most likely to still have lead pipework; homes built in the 1970s and early 1980s may have lead solder on copper joints; homes built from the 1990s onward are very unlikely to contain any lead. Renovations can change this picture in either direction, which is why the physical checks matter more than the build year alone.
Check the internal stop tap under the kitchen sink first, then trace the incoming pipe back towards the wall or floor. It is also worth looking at the external stop tap — usually a small round or rectangular cover near your boundary or in the pavement. The pipe between the street main and your home is the supply pipe; the section the water company owns is the communication pipe. Either can be lead in an older property.
If you rent, the physical checks are still worth doing, but replacing any lead pipework is the landlord's responsibility, not yours. Report suspected lead pipes to your landlord or letting agent in writing, and in the meantime use the exposure-reduction steps below.
The physical checks tell you about the pipe you can see. To estimate the likelihood for your address more broadly — based on local housing age and plumbing indicators — use the free lead pipe risk checker. If you find or suspect lead, read our full guide to lead pipes in UK homes and the typical replacement costs. You can also see your zone's measured lead level by entering your postcode above.
Find the pipe where the water enters your home, usually under the kitchen sink near the stop tap. Scratch it gently: lead is dull grey but scratches to bright shiny silver. A magnet will not stick to lead, and lead is soft enough to dent with a thumbnail. Bright silver scratch plus no magnetic pull means the pipe is likely lead. Homes built before 1970 are the most likely to have it.
Lead was the standard water pipe material in the UK until around 1970. Lead solder and new lead pipes were effectively banned from the late 1980s. Homes built from the 1990s onward are very unlikely to contain any lead pipework, though renovations can change this.
The internal stop tap is most often under the kitchen sink, but can also be in a downstairs cupboard, cellar, or utility room. There is usually a second, external stop tap near your property boundary or in the pavement. The incoming pipe at the internal stop tap is the best place to run the scratch and magnet tests.
Yes. The scratch, magnet and feel tests on the visible incoming pipe at your stop tap tell you a lot without any digging. To estimate the likelihood for the buried supply pipe as well, use the postcode-based lead pipe risk checker, which is built from local housing age and plumbing indicators.
Softer, more acidic water is more corrosive and can dissolve slightly more lead from old pipework than hard water does. Water companies add orthophosphate to reduce this, but if you have lead pipes and soft water it is a good reason to flush the tap in the morning and use a certified filter until the pipe is replaced.