Diagnostics – lead in water, who is affected?
Lead in water in France remains a problem. And unfortunately, this can have very serious consequences for your children's health, particularly lead poisoning.
Lead in water in France remains a problem. And unfortunately, this can have very serious consequences for your children’s health, particularly lead poisoning. According to Santé Publique France, there are still far too many cases causing irreversible intellectual and psychomotor delays. The major reason is that it enters the body and fixes to the bones. So how can you ensure that your next acquisition provides healthy water? It’s simple: you just need to have a diagnostics carried out. But where do you start and what do you do when a proven risk exists? That’s what we’ll clarify in this article.
Where does this lead pollution in water come from?
Water is brought to your home through copper piping. Nothing serious at that level, however lead can be present in the weldings as well as the connections to the municipal pipes. The major risk actually applies to all properties built with 1995. Before this date, lead was still used far too often. When water stagnates for too long then it becomes affected and this is what puts young children in danger for the reasons outlined above.
How does the diagnostics work?
Since the end of 2013, the WHO and the European Commission agreed, the lead content must be less than 10µg per litre of water supplied. The public service promptly published as you can see on this directive: Water and Lead. Numerous service providers can carry out such diagnostics for you and it doesn’t cost that much. Here are a few:
Generally, the diagnostics is carried out on interior and exterior coatings so do check before bringing in a specialist. Also ask them if they use an X-ray fluorescence device. That’s the cutting edge!
What to do in case of pollution?
The owner or their representative will be held responsible. Therefore, you must contact them as soon as possible if you are a tenant. If you are the owner, here’s what awaits you:
- Renew the pipes in the private areas, at your expense through a plumbing company
- If you are a co-owner, bis repetita but you can reduce the prices by pooling together with your fellow owners – this often works with small co-ownerships.
- Have a new analysis carried out after the works
