GORDON Prentice is backing a new drive to rip out lead pipes leading to and in East Lancashire homes.
He has raised the Lancashire County Council campaign on the health threat with Environment Minister Bob Ainsworth.
In 1999 a survey in the North West region found that 375 properties out of 15,574 samples (2.1 per cent of the total) failed current health standards for lead in water.
Many of the remaining lead pipes are in East Lancashire.
Mr Ainsworth told Pendle MP Mr Prentice: "Where the standards are not met, water companies will need to replace - or line - their own lead pipes and advise consumers as to any action that is desirable that they take in the interests of their health."
While property owners remain responsible for the pipes which remain within their own homes there are a variety of measures to help them with the cost of removing them.
Mr Prentice said: "Lead pipes are a nasty legacy of the past that we can do without. It is a big job that we need to get rid of them as soon as possible."
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