Land is an important resource with great demand for development and re-use. Land that has previously been used may be contaminated potentially posing a risk to future users. To date around 10,000 such sites have been identified in Wales.
Since Wales was involved in past activities such as mining and smelting, and deposition from used vehicle exhausts, lead is a common pollutant in our soils. However, human exposure occurs primarily through food and drinking water, with lead service pipes and household plumbing being a major source. Follow the link to learn more about lead in drinking water.