Lead-free plumbing rules introduced to protect drinking water

Checkpoint · May 1, 2026 · 7m

From Saturday, new plumbing rules come into effect which would remove lead from all products allowed in new build homes and buildings. This change was signalled as far back as four years ago, so it's likely that those products will have been phased out over builds in the transition period too. However, Water New Zealand said older homes could still have pipes with lead in them and there are things you can do as a precaution to make your drinking water safer. The changes have been brought in in response to scientific research which found lead could have potential health impacts and especially…