Cabinet bans lead pipes for rental homes and schools

There will be a ban on the use of lead pipes for drinking water in rental homes, primary schools and childcare centres, writes Minister Hugo de Jonge (Public Housing). The Health Council had previously advised on this because lead in drinking water is harmful during daily use, especially for babies and children. It is not yet known when the ban will take effect.

The ban will apply to these locations, because children and tenants there are dependent on building owners, according to De Jonge. “This creates a big stick to remove these pipes.”

There will be no general ban. Owners and residents have their own responsibility for whether or not to replace lead pipes, the cabinet believes. “However, owners and residents are well informed about the risks, emphatically also at the time of purchase,” according to the Ministry of the Interior.

In 2020, the cabinet already announced that the standard for lead in drinking water must be reduced by half from the end of 2022. Especially in old houses the pipes are still made of lead. Lead pipes have not been used in the construction of new buildings since 1960.