Lead Pipes Persist in Hamburg: A Health Hazard Despite Ban
Hamburg, September 17 – Despite a nationwide ban on lead pipes in drinking water systems, which officially came into force on January 12, 2026, an estimated hundreds of kilometers of these hazardous pipes remain in residential buildings across Hamburg. This was confirmed by multiple plumbing companies to NDR Hamburg, highlighting a significant gap between regulation and reality.
The Persistent Problem: Unseen and Untouched
Lead pipes, easily deformable and often hidden behind tiles in kitchens and bathrooms, were commonly used for drinking water lines until the 1970s. The current Drinking Water Ordinance, enacted in June 2023, mandates their replacement or decommissioning. However, Henning Baalmann, a master plumber and managing director of “ElbHandWerk,” frequently encounters lead pipes during apartment renovations in Hamburg.
“I am very sure that several hundred kilometers of lead pipes are still installed in Hamburg,” says Baalmann. He estimates 10 to 15 meters per apartment in a city with many unrenovated older buildings. He notes that sometimes it’s just a small section of lead pipe in an unrenovated kitchen, but often it’s the entire installation, including the water main running from floor to floor. The pipes are often not immediately visible, only becoming apparent after opening walls, or may even be painted over.
Cost and Renovation Backlog: Major Obstacles to Replacement
Baalmann attributes the widespread presence of remaining lead pipes to a backlog in renovations. “The problem is that many occupied apartments simply aren’t being renovated. It’s logical: tenants don’t want to move out for three or four weeks while their bathroom is in ruins,” he explains.
The cost is another significant factor. According to Baalmann, a basic renovation, including tiling, can cost between 3,000 and 6,000 euros per bathroom. For property owners with multiple units, this quickly becomes a major financial decision. “If I imagine having 50, 100, or even 1,000 apartments that need to be done, that’s a classic money question,” he states.
Health Risks: A Silent Threat to Vulnerable Groups
Jens Beck from the Hamburg Wasser drinking water laboratory emphasizes the health dangers of lead in drinking water. It affects blood count and the nervous system. “Especially in young children, the development of the nervous system can be impaired by even small amounts of lead in drinking water,” Beck warns. Pregnant women, infants, and young children are particularly at risk.
However, the presence of lead pipes does not automatically mean lead is in the drinking water. Baalmann explains that intact pipes can form an internal protective layer. As long as this layer is undamaged, lead levels remain low. “This means you could have been drinking leaded water for ten years and not found any lead residue in the water,” Baalmann clarifies.
Recommendations for Consumers and Legal Rights
Susanne Langsdorf from the Consumer Advice Centre advises tenants that they have the right to have lead pipes replaced. The duration of water stagnation in the pipes is crucial; the longer the contact, the more metal leaches into the water. Langsdorf recommends running the water until it is cold, especially if it has been standing in the pipes for more than four hours, to ensure it comes directly from the lead-free public supply network.
Unknown Scope and Lack of Enforcement
The exact number of Hamburg homes still equipped with lead pipes is not statistically recorded. An older estimate from the health authority in 2011 suggested up to 120,000 apartments. Rolf Bosse from the Hamburg Tenants’ Association estimates that this number has now been reduced to a few tens of thousands of households. “Nevertheless, that is still a significant number that needs to be brought to zero,” Bosse stresses.
Since the new Drinking Water Ordinance came into effect in June 2023, water suppliers and installation companies are required to report every discovered lead pipe to the health department in the relevant district. However, inquiries to the seven Hamburg district offices by NDR Hamburg revealed that while 879 lead pipes were reported in the last three years, no statistical data is collected on how many of these have actually been replaced or decommissioned.
Crucially, since the deadline of January 12, 2026, not a single administrative offense procedure has been initiated in Hamburg for unreplaced lead pipes. Fines ranging from 150 to 3,000 euros are possible for violations of the pipe replacement obligations.
Testing Your Water and Legal Proof
Individuals suspecting lead in their drinking water can have it tested by Hamburg Wasser for 45.22 euros for lead, copper, and nickel. The test is free for households with pregnant women or infants up to one year old. Approximately 1,500 private water samples are analyzed annually, with about 12 percent exceeding the limit of ten micrograms of lead per liter. However, this is only an indicative value, not legally binding proof. For legal purposes, a staggered stagnation sampling is required, involving multiple samples taken under controlled conditions, including after a defined standing time of the water.
Awareness and Future Regulations
Ulf Schelenz, managing director of the Property Owners’ Association Hamburg, suggests that many property owners are unaware of the obligation to replace lead pipes or even that they have them. He claims that most act once informed. However, master plumber Baalmann disputes the ignorance thesis, stating, “I have never met an owner who didn’t know what a lead pipe was and how to deal with it.”
The pressure to replace lead pipes is set to increase further. The current limit for lead in drinking water is ten micrograms per liter, but this will be halved to five micrograms per liter on January 12, 2028. “Essentially, this limit is already almost impossible to meet today if you still have lead pipes,” says Langsdorf. It is expected that lead pipes will continue to be a challenge for plumbers like Henning Baalmann for some time to come.
Source: NDR Hamburg, Hamburg Wasser, Consumer Advice Centre Hamburg, Hamburg Tenants’ Association, Property Owners’ Association Hamburg
