The Easy Home spiral spring mixer tap. Martin Watson bought two of the Easy Home taps last month, one of which is in use at his home in Mango Hill, Queensland. "We have two little babies in the house and we use water from this tap for formula for our 17-month-old," said Mr Watson, who bought the taps at Aldi's Northlakes store in Queensland. "As soon as I saw this report this morning, I called my partner and told her not to use the water from this tap. "We are planning on removing it tonight and replacing it with the old one as a precaution, until such time as it is either cleared or it is recalled."

Consumers who have purchased the particular taps but have not had them installed can seek a refund from Aldi. Credit:Aldi In a statement, an Aldi Australia spokesperson said it had conducted its own independent testing on the tap and confirmed it complied with Australian standards before it was placed in stores for sale. According to media reports, the tap previously scored well below permitted levels. Water from the tap could contain up to 15 times the maximum allowable level of lead. Credit:Ross Duncan "Aldi is liaising with the responsible authorities and our supplier to investigate the matter with utmost urgency. If at any stage test results confirm that chemical parameters do not meet regulatory requirements, Aldi will take appropriate action," the spokesperson said.

The QBCC alerted the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission at the weekend, prompting it to issue a warning. "Consumers who have purchased the particular taps but have not had them installed can seek a refund from Aldi," the ACCC said in a statement on Monday. The watchdog said it had approached Aldi, and if there was any risk to consumers, a voluntary recall would be expected. Aldi's spokesperson confirmed the product was certified by the national WaterMark Certification Scheme, a mandatory scheme for plumbing and drainage materials managed by the Australian Building Codes Board.



She said the spiral tap was also found to be compliant with the WELS scheme, the Australian water efficiency labelling scheme.



"Aldi will always remove any product from sale if it is identified as a risk to our customers. If any customer is unsatisfied with a product purchased at Aldi, they are welcome to return it to the store for a full refund." Aldi would not say how many taps have been sold around Australia, however the QBCC believes more than 3000 have been sold in Queensland.

Lead is a naturally occurring heavy metal, which can be dispersed through contamination of water, dust, soil, and some paints. The effects of lead exposure present the greatest risk to children under the age of five. University of Adelaide senior lecturer Dr Ian Musgrave, said that, while the levels were not likely to cause acute lead poisoning, lead is a cumulative toxin. "Continued consumption of low levels of lead can have adverse effects especially in young children and unborn babies. Effects include disruption of red blood cell, production, kidney damage, behavioural disturbances and other nervous system effects," he said. with AAP