Water Lead Testing

Watersafe Lead Test

The government recently announced that all lead water pipes will need to be replaced in Ireland which could affect up to 200,000 Irish homes.

Whilst the government announced that they will provide a grant for low income homes to help them replace lead piping on their property trade professionals estimate the costs to do each home will range from €1,500 to €5,000 and the grants are unlikely to cover a fraction of the costs.

If you want to find out if your home is affected this test is an easy way to assess matters. If your home was built in the 19 70s or before there is a good chance that lead pipes exist.

Drinking water with even low levels of lead can adverse effects on ones health. It can result in delays in physical and mental development in babies and children and result in slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities. For adults it can cause high blood pressure and result in kidney problems.

Anyone in Ireland living in a house built up to and including the 1980s could have lead pipes.

The Watersafe lead test is suitable to us on fresh water samples including water from taps, wells, boreholes, spring, ponds, lakes and even rain water

Within 10 minutes the test can detect lead even at the most tiny levels - 15ppb (one drop in a standard swimming pool)

The product has proven to provide reliable results and as No labouritry is required to carry out this test you will not have to hire a professional water inspecting team to carry out the test.

Watersafe Lead Test How it works

In the foil packet you will find a test vial, a test strip, a dropper pipette and a desicxant. Discard the desiccant before proceeding.

Step 1: 

Using the dropper, place water sample into test vial.

To pick up the sample, tightly squeeze the bulb at the end of the dropper and place the open end into the water sample.

Release the bulb to pick up the sample, then squeeze again to expel the sample into the vial

Use only one pipette-full of water.

Swirl vial gently for several seconds.

Place on a flat surface.

Step 2: 
Place test strip into the test vial, with arrows pointing DOWN.
Wait 10 minutes. Do not disturb strips or vial during this time. Lines will appear on the strip.

Step 3:

Take the strip out of the vial and read result.

How to Read Watersafe Lead Testing Results

Note: If no lines appear, or both lines are very light, the test did not run properly and the result is not valid.