Lead Pipes

[popcorn]

For those of you who have been following my kitchen saga I have an update. The plumber came yesterday to see if this was something that the homeowner is responsible for and it turns out the old pipe the Ikea worker was talking about is a lead pipe.

This means that we likely have lead plumbing in the entire house. We switched to bottled water just in case and will probably order a water test soon, but this is just crazy! I did some "research" and it looks like lead pipes were outlawed in 1973 here, but not all older houses have been required to update their plumbing. Fun times!

So now we have no idea what will happen with the kitchen because obviously replacing the one pipe that goes to the wall is not going to change much if the other pipes are also lead. We should get some kind of update today.

[irish]

Dear, oh dear...

I wonder what the previous residents of the place did for a kitchen? Did they have the same palaver too when it was installed? Or did their installer just get on with the lead pipe situation? If the lead pipes are now banned but old houses don't have to take them out, should there have been something in your lease to highlight the fact that there were lead pipes i wonder...

[potatopie]

Yowza. Hope surprises stop happening and you guys get things worked out soon.

[allibally]

Oh my god. Your apartment kitchen is a freaking nightmare.

And now you got me thinking about our pipes. This apartment is very old.

[popcorn]

Jul 11, 2012 3:23:24 GMT -5 irish said:

Dear, oh dear...

I wonder what the previous residents of the place did for a kitchen? Did they have the same palaver too when it was installed? Or did their installer just get on with the lead pipe situation? If the lead pipes are now banned but old houses don't have to take them out, should there have been something in your lease to highlight the fact that there were lead pipes i wonder...

Well, a lot of people install their kitchens themselves here it seems so I'm guessing they could have easily overlooked this.

I'm really not sure if it's something that should've been listed in our lease, but I do know that it wasn't. The whole thing is just a mess.

Allibally: I think most places required a reform after banning lead pipes. We looked it up in Madrid and by 2012 all building that previously had lead pipes were required to have changed them out. Sooo...hopefully where you are that wouldn't be a problem!

[allibally]

Popcorn. I'm going to take a look and see the regulations later today. But hopefully it's all good. The US is pretty hardcore when it come to lead and awareness about it. But with this apartment who know. I awoke from a nap to really creepy sounds from above.

I'm guessing you won't be responsible for the pipes replacements. Hopefully it is resolved sooner then later.

[travelingturtle]

This is crazy. From what people have told me, this type of thing should be a non-issue here in Germany. But, I guess along with all the other proof of German efficiency, I'm not surprised.

I really hope that this isn't the case for you. I'm sending you unleaded vibes.

[popcorn]

Jul 11, 2012 5:48:20 GMT -5 travelingturtle said:

This is crazy. From what people have told me, this type of thing should be a non-issue here in Germany. But, I guess along with all the other proof of German efficiency, I'm not surprised.

I really hope that this isn't the case for you. I'm sending you unleaded vibes.

How do you mean a non-issue? As in they don't see the need to change the pipes?

Yeah, we'll see what happens. I don't even care if they don't change the pipes, but the size of the connection one for the kitchen sink is the biggest problem--it won't work with these new appliances.

[dulcemariamar]

Yuick....This sucks. I never thought you would have half the problems you are having in Germany. At least you have a trip coming up. It will give you some time away from all this crazy.

[travelingturtle]

Non-issue as in tap water in Germany is super safe. That there were issues years/decades ago, but that now tap water quality is tested all the way to when it leaves the faucet in the home. I can't think of the right word that I'm looking for, but basically that the quality of tap water in Germany is more regulated/tested than bottled water in Germany.

So, not non-issue as in they don't need to change the pipes. I'm surprised (just based off of what people told me) that there would be problem pipes anymore.

ETA: but considering how I feel about both the efficiency of things here and the quality of follow through these past few weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if your pipes were a problem.

[popcorn]

Jul 11, 2012 6:32:20 GMT -5 travelingturtle said:

Non-issue as in tap water in Germany is super safe. That there were issues years/decades ago, but that now tap water quality is tested all the way to when it leaves the faucet in the home. I can't think of the right word that I'm looking for, but basically that the quality of tap water in Germany is more regulated/tested than bottled water in Germany.

So, not non-issue as in they don't need to change the pipes. I'm surprised (just based off of what people told me) that there would be problem pipes anymore.

ETA: but considering how I feel about both the efficiency of things here and the quality of follow through these past few weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if your pipes were a problem.

Well, actually from what I've read there are many places throughout the country that still have lead plumbing and if you are in a "risky" area you should test your water even if your neighbors have tested and it came out fine. I think the tap water IS good, but if it's sitting in lead pipes then the purification process is moot, kwim?

My reading was done on toytowngermany though so it's all anecdotal. A woman in Berlin found out they were livnig in a risky area while she was pregnant. They tested the water and it was only 1% below the "fine" level so to be on the safe side they bought bottled water during her pregnancy and for the baby until 2 years old.

I'm pretty surprised about this myself. I kept asking H over and over if he was sure he translated it right. Apparently some guy at his office is the one who handled the phone call for him and that's what it is.

[travelingturtle]

See, that's what I've been told that it's not that they are testing the water before the pipes, that it's tested at the faucet. That what leaves the house at the faucet is what is regulated, not just at some water facility. BUT, I wouldn't be surprised if that information is inaccurate now that I've had more experience here.

[popcorn]

That would be amazing, but how would they do that? Wouldn't there be some indicator of it being tested?

[crimsonandclover]

Wow, that sucks.

My husband (sometimes it's nice to be married to a German lawyer ;- )) says that if the levels of lead in your water are over the level considered safe (25 micrograms of lead / liter), then according to a decision in Hamburg, you can demand 5% of your rent back from the time you moved in, and you can demand that the landlord replace the pipes.

www.mieterverein-hamburg.de/tl_files/dokumente/merkblaetter/merkblatt-23-blei-im-trinkwasser.pdf

If the levels are considered safe, however, then I'm afraid you're SOL. So it sounds like it might be a good idea to have someone come out and check your water. Your best bet is to call the water plant (Wasserwerk) and try to get someone from there to come out, test the water, and if it's above the levels considered safe, have them give you some sort of documentation of that.

Edit: He says the "Stadtwerke Frankfurt am Main" would probably be who you need to call to get it tested. 0800 1144488 (It's a service hotline provided by some sub-contracted company)

[glitterfart]

I had no idea that lead pipes were a problem here. But maybe that´s cause I live in the East and everything pretty much got replaced after 1990? I´ll have to ask FIL about this...wondering what they´ve got in their house.