§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the number of 681W households which will need to replace or will be required to replace lead water pipes during the next (a) five and (b) 10 years; and what is his estimate of the average cost per household which this replacement will involve.
§ Mr. HowardThe lead concentration in a dwelling's water supply is dependent on a variety of factors, the relevance of which varies considerably in different parts of the country. The need to replace lead pipes will depend on the concentration in water of lead derived from those pipes. In view of this, it is not possible to give an estimate of the number of dwellings where pipe replacement may be desirable. The cost of lead pipe replacement for a dwelling will vary greatly depending on circumstances.