Lead Water Test Results Guide

What this test measures

This test screens your water for lead. Lead has no taste, smell or colour, and it usually comes from old lead pipes or lead solder in homes built before 1970 — which is exactly why testing is the only way to know.

The UK standard

The UK drinking water standard for lead is 10 µg/l — deliberately strict, because there’s no recognised safe level of lead in drinking water. Most UK homes have no lead pipework, but pre-1970 properties can.

Reading your strip

Dip a strip into your sample for two seconds, hold it level and wait 30 seconds. Match the lead pad against the colour chart on your instructions card and read off the closest band. Strips give you a clear range rather than a lab-precise number — exactly what you need for spotting problems and tracking changes over time.

What to do next

• Confirm it first. One strip is a snapshot — re-test with a fresh strip and a fresh sample before acting on a result.
• Take a first-draw sample in the morning — lead is highest after water has sat in pipes overnight.
• If lead shows up repeatedly: run the tap before drinking as a short-term measure, and contact your water supplier — many run lead pipe replacement schemes and will test your supply properly.
• Check your property’s pipework: lead pipes are dull grey and soft enough to mark with a coin.
• On a private supply (well, borehole or spring), your local council’s environmental health team can arrange accredited lab testing.
• Thinking about a filter? Test before and after fitting it so you can see exactly what it changed.