What Is Orangeburg Pipe? A Homeowner's Guide

A homeowner guide from Drain Edge Rooter, a licensed plumbing company in Rialto, CA (C-36 #1078977). Open 24/7, call anytime: (909) 927-3194.

Orangeburg pipe is a type of sewer pipe made from layers of wood pulp fiber bonded with coal tar pitch, sometimes called tar-paper pipe or fiber conduit. It was widely used from around the World War II era into the 1970s because it was cheap and light. Many Southern California homes built from the mid-1940s through the 1960s still have Orangeburg sewer laterals underground.

Why Orangeburg fails

Orangeburg was never as strong as clay or cast iron. Over decades, the material softens, absorbs moisture and gets crushed by the weight of soil. The round pipe deforms into an oval or flattened shape, a condition plumbers often call blistering or bellying. Roots also find their way into the joints and soft walls.

Signs your home may have Orangeburg

The house was built roughly between the mid-1940s and the 1960s and the sewer line has never been replaced.
Recurring main line clogs or backups, especially into the lowest tub, shower or floor drain.
Gurgling drains or slow drains throughout the house.
Sewage odors in the yard or soggy, unusually green patches over the sewer line.

The only way to know for sure is to look inside the pipe.

How Orangeburg is identified

A sewer camera inspection is the best way to see the pipe material and condition. Orangeburg typically shows a dark, layered or blistered interior and a deformed, out-of-round shape. A camera inspection is also smart before buying an older home.

Why Orangeburg cannot be lined

Trenchless lining, also called CIPP (cured-in-place pipe), works by curing a new liner inside an existing host pipe. That only works when the host pipe can hold its shape. Orangeburg pipe cannot be lined or rehabilitated. It has to be dug up and replaced. A deformed, soft Orangeburg line cannot support a liner, and running cleaning equipment or a liner through it can collapse what is left of the pipe.

What replacement involves

Replacing an Orangeburg line means excavating and installing a new pipe, usually PVC or ABS, from the house to the city connection or to the point where the old pipe ends. The plumber will explain the route, permit requirements, access points and cleanout locations before work starts.

Long trench with a new ABS sewer main and tree roots cut back, dug and replaced by Drain Edge Rooter — Dig-and-replace: a new ABS sewer main laid in an open trench, the kind of replacement a failed sewer line needs.

What to do in the meantime

If you suspect Orangeburg, avoid aggressive DIY cleaning, keep grease and wipes out of the drains, and do not put off an inspection if you are seeing backups. A failing line can collapse completely, which turns a planned replacement into an emergency.

Questions to ask your plumber

What material is my sewer line, and can I see the camera video?
Is the Orangeburg section the whole line or only part of it?
Where does the old pipe end and the city connection begin?
Will a permit be needed for the replacement?
Where will the cleanouts be after the work?
What happens to landscaping, concrete or driveways along the route?

Some homes have Orangeburg for part of the run and clay or cast iron for the rest, sometimes from earlier spot repairs. Seeing the whole line on camera helps you understand exactly what needs to be replaced. If you are buying a home from this era, ask the seller whether the sewer line has ever been replaced and request any records.

Orangeburg compared with other sewer pipe

Clay pipe is rigid and long-lasting but its joints can let roots in. Cast iron is strong but can corrode, scale up and crack over decades. Both can often be cleaned, and many clay and cast iron lines in suitable condition can be lined. Modern ABS and PVC are smooth, lightweight and widely used today. Orangeburg is different from all of these because the material itself breaks down and deforms, which is why it has to be replaced rather than lined.

Drain Edge Rooter sewer line repair: new pipe joined to an old clay sewer pipe in a trench — New pipe joined to an older clay sewer line in an excavated trench.

When to call a pro

Call a plumber for a camera inspection if your home is from the mid-1940s to 1960s and you have recurring clogs, gurgling or sewage odors, or if you are buying an older home. Drain Edge Rooter is open 24/7, so call anytime at (909) 927-3194.

Related services and areas

Related services: Sewer Line Repair, Sewer Camera Inspection, Sewer Backup Help. We serve the whole Inland Empire, including plumber in Fontana, plumber in San Bernardino, plumber in Colton, plumber in North Riverside. See all homeowner plumbing guides.