“There is a big awareness of lead in the US, but not here. There is no real screening of children for lead in the UK so we can’t even say how many children have been affected and therefore cannot advocate for resources for children to remediate the damage that has already been done and prevent further damage.
He said: “Drinking water safety in schools needs to be urgently improved. Children are more vulnerable to lead toxicity which can lead to lifelong health problems.” According to the international health body, lead is toxic to multiple body systems including the central nervous system and brain, the reproductive system, kidneys, the cardiovascular system, blood and the immune system.
A report by the Drinking Water Inspectorate said no water company holds a complete dataset of pipe material and the number of lead supply pipes and communication pipes is estimated.