Aldi has admitted it is investigating one of its kitchen taps with “utmost urgency” following serious lead contamination concerns.

Tests conducted by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) found that water from the Easy Home spiral spring mixer tap contained lead levels up to 15 times the maximum outlined in Australian drinking water guidelines.

The discount supermarket chain placed the product on sale as a ‘special buy’ on June 10.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has since issued a warning, advising customers not to consume or cook with water from the tap.

“Our initial test results show that there is a cause for concern, and that the tapware may cause lead contamination of drinking water,” QBCC Commissioner Brett Bassett said.

The QBCC understands that more than 3000 of the taps have been sold in Queensland alone.

The Aldi tap under investigation.

The ACCC has approached Aldi and expects a voluntary recall if the tap is found to pose any health risk to consumers.

An Aldi spokeswoman told The New Daily that the tap was “independently tested and confirmed to comply with Australian standards prior to going on sale”.

“We have strict quality assurance processes in place and we relentlessly test our products to ensure they are safe and of the highest quality,” she said.

“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 spokeswoman said Aldi would remove the product from sale if it is identified as a risk to our customers.

Those who have purchased the tap but not yet had it installed have been invited to return the product to their local store for a refund.

– with AAP