Three hundred homes in Belfast are to be tested for lead contamination in their drinking water.
It comes after researchers at Queen's University Belfast conducted a small, random sample on 35 homes in the city and found 15% of houses exceeded the UK reference limit for lead. They also found that five test results were nearly ten times the limit.
The study, which is a citizen science project, asks people to sample their water and the researchers will pick it up. They test via the industry standard of first draw, which is in the morning from the kitchen tap before any water is used.
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In a statement, NI Water said lead pipes are " predominantly present in older properties built before 1970" and they would urge " customers to check for the presence of lead pipework if their property is built prior to 1970."
They said there is almost no lead in drinking water when it leaves their water treatment works. NI Water continued: "Any lead in drinking water usually comes from lead service pipes in the home.
"This pipework is predominantly within customer properties, with a small percentage of NI Water lead communication pipes, still in use across Northern Ireland. NI Water have a £1million per year, programme of work in place to remove these communication pipes."
Researchers from QUB now have funding to test 300 households in Belfast and want to get samples from houses built before 1970. The project's lead researcher Dr Tristan Sturm described the initial findings from 35 properties as "quite shocking."
The UK reference limit for lead in water is 10 µgPb/L, with the Queen's University team finding that out of the 35 homes, five test results were higher than 50 µgPb/L with one reaching 95.2 µgPb/L.
The study found some lead in all of the houses tested, with the researchers stating there is no safe threshold of exposure to lead. Exposure to lead can be dangerous to human health and can particularly affect young children, affecting brain development and kidneys.
Dr Sturm agreed the sample size was small which was why further testing was necessary. He added: "Without proper testing of drinking water, our cities are complicity producing the next generation of children who might under-perform, be prone to violence, or suffer debilitating bodily harm relative to their unexposed peers. Low level lead exposure is also significantly linked to heart disease in adults."
What can be done?
Dr Strum has provided some details on what can be done to reduce lead exposure.
In the Republic of Ireland, Irish Water has a lead pipe replacement grant scheme, where homeowners are offered up to 10,000 euro to replace pipes. Dr Strum said: "This is indeed costly, but the health costs greatly outweigh any financial cost to replace lead pipes."
He added that "flushing water" by letting it run for one minute before you consume it or use it for cooking will reduce the amount of lead in the water.
As well as this, he said residents may consider under sink activated carbon filters which will remove much of the lead. However, they cost between £100 to £200 for the filter and installation, and need to be replaced each year.
NI Water added that they have been working to support the QUB lead project since 2018 and recognise the public's concern.
They added: "We further recommend that customers consider replacement of the lead pipework in their property. These service pipes are the responsibility of the homeowner to replace.
“We have been working to support the QUB lead project since 2018 and recognise the public’s concern. As an organisation we have been working to improve the situation since lead regulations were put in place for Northern Ireland in the 1980s.
“We also have information and advice on our website for anyone who does have lead piping. Anyone with any concerns can also have their water tested. www.niwater.com/lead-pipes/ "
To get in touch with the Queen's University team to have your water tested, you can email leadwater@qub.ac.uk or go to https://www.unleadingbelfastswater.co.uk/ for instructions on how to test your water.
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