Water and Effluent Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/607941
18 WET NEWS DECEMBER 2015 Traditional methods to replace lead pipes for drinking water can be costly and disruptive. Are 'no-dig' solutions the answer? The challenge: Reducing lead risk in water INSIGHT TREnChlEss TEChnology A routine inspection at a facility owned by Children First Derby was found to have a lead water service line on the customer's side. THE CONCEPT • ePIPE is an epoxy coating for lining the interior of water pipes • The 'no-dig' process has a short two-hour cure time • The ePIPE coating goes beyond legal lead limits after application • special adaptors for internal and external stop taps provide access to the pipe ends THE VERDICT The original lead levels at the Children First Derby facility when tested at the tap were nearly 2.5 times over the current maximum limit of 10 micrograms per litre. After the ePIPE epoxy coating was installed in the service line, lead levels measured at the tap dropped to 0.5 micrograms per litre. U p to 40% of properties in the UK are supplied with water through lead service pipes – the main contributor of dissolved lead in drinking water. Houses and buildings built before 1970 are most likely to have lead pipes. It is estimated that tens of millions of homes and buildings throughout the UK still have lead pipes. These lead pipes can contaminate clean water going to homes, schools, hospitals and care homes. The legal limit of lead in drinking water was reduced from 25 micrograms per litre to 10 micrograms in 2013. Yet, in some parts of the UK, the new standard is still not being met. Lead is a cumulative poison and children are particularly vulnerable as it affects both their physical and intellectual development. Traditional methods There is no lead in water when it leaves the water treatment works. However, it can be picked up by the water if the service pipe is made of lead, or if internal lead pipework and lead-based soldered pipe joints are present. Traditional solutions such as phosphate dosing and the NEED TO KNOW 1 The legal limit of lead in drinking water was reduced to 10 micrograms per litre in 2013 2 Replacing all lead pipes in the UK is estimated to cost £8-10bn. 3 houses and buildings built prior to 1970 are most likely to have lead pipes 4 Digging up and replacing lead pipes throughout the UK could take decades replacement of lead pipes have proven costly and disruptive. Estimates put the cost of replacing all lead pipes in the UK at between £8bn and £10bn. Digging up and replacing lead pipes throughout the UK could take decades and in the meantime many people could be medically affected. Replacing pipes is a destructive and disruptive process – to homes, streets and business operations alike. The challenge is to replace them in the least disruptive, inexpensive and environmentally friendly man- ner while providing taps with lead-free water.