[ragnot]

So what are we going to use for Drain-Waste-Vent plumbing? Go back to cast iron with oakum and lead?

[xyst]

Could PEX (cross linked polyethylene) fill the gap? It’s already used in residential. Plus more flexible than PVC

[ars]

Flexible is bad for drains, you get sagging leading to water pooling the pipe.

[jwagenet]

My impression is PEX is the standard for modern plumbing, but I don't know about drains specifically. Maybe we will find it also has issues, but it seems like every modern material has externalities.

[throwaway4aday]

Pex is used in water supply, not drain and vent.

[airstrike]

Ductile iron pipe and concrete?

(Disclaimer: Not an expert at all, so could be totally wrong... but I remember those terms from many moons ago when I worked on an M&A deck for some American pipe company that hated competition from Chinese PVC pipe manufacturers. Not a fun project)

[systems_glitch]

Ugh, no screwpipe, that was a 1950s housing boom compromise that should never be repeated!

First person to suggest Orangeburg gets to dig up 100 feet of collapsed lateral in winter.

[Sindisil]

Given the asbestos content, that's not really an option anyway, yeah?

[systems_glitch]

The real low quality stuff was just wood fibers and coal tar, IIRC!

[14u2c]

ABS pipe?

[systems_glitch]

Soldered DWV copper is also acceptable :P Doubt we'll be going back to wiped lead...

[throwaway4aday]

It's a 10ft drain pipe, Michael. What could it cost? $500?

[a_gnostic]

Probably basalt-lined pipe.