Chicago residents take action to be rid of lead pipes as fear of toxic water grows

Residents who can are paying to have their home's pipework replaced amid concern over water quality but for most the cost is way beyond their means

• At least 33 US cities used water testing 'cheats' over lead concerns

Michael Kerrigan has been a busy man since the full scale of lead contamination in Flint, Michigan, became apparent. Kerrigan's plumbing business, located a dozen miles north of Chicago's downtown area, has already removed the lead water pipes of 15 homes this year - the same total as the whole of 2015.

"We are constantly getting calls about it, people are very aware of what's going on in the news," Kerrigan says. "People are concerned. It's usually people with children. Kids are far more affected than adults by lead, so everyone is a bit worried about that."