Around 200 thousand houses around the country are now thought to have lead piping carrying their water supply.
Irish Water says any building that pre-dates 1970 has a good chance of being affected.
The metal can cause health problems, particularly in children and pregnant women, and it’s now expected a grant scheme will be rolled out to help low-income households meet the cost of replacing the pipes.
Irish Water spokesman Jerry Grant says they will replace the connection with the public supply if it is made of lead – but replacing domestic pipes is not up to them:
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