Orangeburg pipe is a type of old, fiber sewer or drain pipe …. You may have also heard it referred to as “fiber conduit,” because it’s made of layers of pitch and wood pulp. The first known use of fiber pipe was in an experimental water delivery pipe in the Boston area.  As World War II ended, it gave rise to the post-war housing boom and the demand for cheap housing materials was at an all-time high and available drainage materials were scarce. Orangeburg Manufacturing produced a thick-walled, fiber conduit, selling it as “Orangeburg pipe” for sewer and drain uses.  It can last as long as fifty years, but also have been known to fail in under a decade. It can’t handle excessive pressure as well as the newer PVC pipe, and  can result in a high replacement costs. It is essentially an enhanced toilet paper tube… it can break after many years of pressure and moisture. Lots of orangeburg pipe still exists in our local housing stock, so agents should make sure buyers are aware of the composition of the sewer pipes during the inspection process!