§ Mr. RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many homes are connected to the domestic water supply system by lead piping in each region of the UK. [139608]
§ Mr. MullinDetailed estimates of the number of homes connected by lead piping were made in 1991–92 in England and Wales. The information is presented in the following table where
communication pipe is the pipe connecting the water main to the stopcock at the boundary of the property and is owned by the water company,supply pipe is the pipe from the stopcock to the property and is owned by the property owner,internal plumbing is the pipe within the property to the kitchen tap which is owned by the property owner.
Number of homes with lead Millions Region Communication pipe Supply pipe Internal plumbing North West 1.75 1.67 2.09 North East 1.43 1.44 1.40 Midlands 1.50 1.60 1.60 East 0.49 0.48 0.15 Wales 0.33 0.45 0.23 South West 0.40 0.37 0.35 South East 0.43 0.42 0.38 South 1.92 2.49 0.82 Total 8.25 8.92 7.02 Since 1991–92, approximately 0.8 million lead communication pipes have been replaced by water companies in England and Wales. Information is not available on the number of supply pipes and internal pipes replaced by property owners.