Plumbing Problems with Orangeburg Pipe

When did they stop using Orangeburg Pipe?

1972

Then, in the late 1960s PVC pipe came along. PVC sewer pipe product was cheaper for sewer line applications. The Orangeburg, New York, plant closed in the fall of 1972. Millions of feet of the fiber electrical conduit are still in service within building structures and under our nation's streets/roads.

Sacramento plumbers will tell you that there are miles of orangeburg pipe in our older neighborhoods.



Clogged drains. Random lawn indentations. Uneven green patches in your grass. No, these aren’t just a random list of homeowner annoyances — they’re signs of a much larger problem: Orangeburg piping.

If your Sacramento home was built before the 70s, there’s a chance it has Orangeburg piping. Not sure what this piping is? You’re not alone. Unless you’re an experienced plumbing professional or have dealt with the piping in the past, it’s not likely you’ve heard much about it before. But we’ve received questions so we’re providing answers.

To help you understand your sewer line, we broke down everything you need to know about Orangeburg sewer piping: what it is, why it’s bad, how to identify it and when it’s time for a sewer line replacement.

What is Orangeburg sewer pipe and why is it bad?

Orangeburg piping is named after the town that first produced it: Orangeburg, New York. It’s a type of pipe made of wood pulp that manufacturers then seal with coal tar. As it turns out, though, this material is incredibly lightweight and brittle. It absorbs moisture and deforms under pressure, which is why people often compare it to a toilet paper tube.

So how did i find it’s way into so many houses? Widespread usage of Orangeburg piping began due to a shortage of cast iron materials that Americans needed for World War II. However, a form of the pipe (also known as bituminous fiber pipe) has been around since the last 1800s. It lasted long after the war because it was inexpensive to create and install.

Because Orangeburg is so brittle, it’s easy to penetrate and break. Quite often, aggressive tree roots are the culprit — either penetrating the pipe and damaging it or causing the entire line to collapse. Most pipes have about a 50-year lifespan and start to show signs of deterioration after 30 years. Since plumbers installed the last of the Orangeburg piping in the 70s, these homes will be facing expiration very soon.