Proceedings

Lead in drinking water is a very emotive issue, especially when it comes to supplying water to children and infants. Research has shown that prolonged exposure to lead can have adverse impacts on a child’s mental development. Lead in distribution networks is a common issue across the water industry and as a general rule is due to either communication pipes or internal plumbing. The practice of using lead was banned in the 1970’s but the legacy remains.

Under project Aquatrine, a 25 year public private partnership with MOD, KWSD are responsible for more than 1000 MOD sites in England and Wales. One of the key requirements of the contract is to provide wholesome water as per the Private Water Supply Regulations.

Recent detection of lead at two sites has resulted in extensive investigation and lead pipe replacement works. The impact on the customer has had to be managed carefully and communication and assurance have been key.

The lessons learnt and ongoing investigation works across all other MOD sites are far reaching.