Orangeburg / Fiber Conduit

Fiber conduit pipe, better known as the brand name Orangeburg, is a inherently defective sewer pipe that was installed from the late 1940s to early 1970s. Orangeburg pipe is made up of multiple layers of wood pulp fibers impregnated with liquified coal tar pitch.

The name Orangeburg comes from the Orangeburg Manufacturing Company that produced and sold this product throughout the United States starting in 1948. This product came at the end of World War 2 when the postwar housing boom occurred and there was a need for cheap building materials. Orangeburg was inexpensive, brittle, and soft.

The maximum service life of Orangeburg pipe is 50 years. However, pipe failure can occur in as little as 10 years. Because Orangeburg currently found in sewer lines is past its expected service life and because of the inherently defective condition of the product, Orangeburg sewer pipes should be replaced.

The interior of Orangeburg pipe has a rough surface that looks like cardboard. It is generally dark brown or black in color because of the tar pitch used during the manufacturing process. It will typically be a poor condition and may be coming apart or corrugated internally.