A fair lead costs deal is essential - Water pipes threat

LEAD, just like asbestos, was freely used in buildings some decades ago. Now that it has been identified as a health threat, efforts must be made to remove it, or at the very least reduce the impact it might have.

Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly told his cabinet colleagues yesterday that Irish Water had found lead pipes or lead joints in something around 75,000 homes. This figure would probably rise if all homes were surveyed.

The minister’s assertion that home owners will be responsible for the vast majority of the repairs and expenses incurred may be a tad premature. Mr Kelly has announced a €2,000 per-house grant to help households cover the cost but the grant will not be offered to every household and will target low-income families. On the face of it, that seems reasonable but if the lead is in a section of the water supply system installed by a local authority, or on behalf of a local authority, it seems unreasonable to expect an individual to pay to remove the threat. The costs should be at least shared, maybe by a reduction in local property taxes or water charges for a period.

Irish Water, the HSE, the EPA, the Commission for Energy Regulation, and the Department of the Environment will be involved in the campaign to remove the threat.

The news also raises the question: What material are we using today that will in time be identified as toxic?

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