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Land quality

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.

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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.