Handling of lead water pipes

Lead water pipes were widely used as water pipes with a diameter of 25 mm or less because they were soft and easy to process and repair from the beginning of the Showa 20s. However, the city of Yokohama completely abolished the use of lead pipes from 1978, as lead water pipes have a lot of water leakage and have an effect on health.
Water Works Bureau is responding to lead water pipes used in customer-owned water supply pipes, with the aim of supplying safer and higher quality tap water, preventing water leakage and building disaster-resistant water supply.

The “Subsidy for Improvement of Lead Pipes in Residential Land” has been introduced since 2004 with the aim of promoting the improvement of lead water pipes used in residential areas and reducing the burden of construction costs for customers.
Ten years have passed since this project started, and the number of applications has been decreasing year by year due to the progress of the project, and improvements have been made due to the “pipe-in-Eco Construction Method” (implemented with replacement of water meters) Therefore, we considered business continuity and ended the business in 2015.

March 31, 2016

About "pipe-in eco-construction method" performed at the time of water meter exchange once every eight years started in 2007, business was finished in 2014 because work was completed. However, if requested by the customer, Water Works Bureau will construct it free of charge.

The pipe-in-eco-construction method was developed by Yokohama City for the first time in Japan (patent application). The water meter is removed, the polybutten pipe is pushed into the lead water supply pipe from the meter section, covering the inside, and the lead elution of lead. It is a simple construction method that prevents construction can be performed without excavation, and construction costs are low.

＊However, there are also lead water pipes that are extremely bent and plumbed before and after the meter, and in this case it may not be inserted.