The UK Water Regulations require Water Companies to take action when there is a risk of the permitted lead level of 50 ug/l being exceeded. While taking remedial action through treatment, the long term answer is the removal of lead from the system. There is a continual pressure to reduce lead in water because of its documented health risks. The recently revised World Health Organization (WHO) level of 10 ug/l, if adopted, could probably only be achieved by the replacement of all lead pipework owned by the Water Companies and also that in private property. The paper discusses Severn Trent Water's approach to lead replacement with particular reference to the use of "turnkey" contracts for large scale area replacement schemes.