Purple pipes must be used for recycled water (black pipes with purple stripes do not comply). Below ground, minimum horizontal spacing between recycled and drinking water pipes is 300 mm.
Recycled Water is supplied to new properties through a separate pipe network which is colour coded purple for easy identification.
NSW Fair Trading regulates and inspects recycled water plumbing. Recycled water meters and fittings must be clearly identified using purple pipes and fittings.
PVC Reclaimed Water Pipe is pressure-rated pipe for use in non-potable irrigation and aerobic septic systems. All products are marked “Reclaimed Water - Do Not Drink” and are purple in color.
All irrigation system pipeline used for reclaimed water must be in the color purple.
Grey is the original PVC pipe color. According to the PPFA website, an industrial grey was the earliest PVC pipe color and it is still common.
Underground drainage pipes and fittings are almost always terracotta orange in colour. This makes identification easy, as soil pipes installed above ground level are usually black, grey or white.
Blue pipes are used for potable or drinking water. Green pipes are sewer and drain lines. Lavender or purple pipes carry reclaimed wastewater that undergoes filtration and disinfection treatment before being reused for irrigation.
Physical Characteristics of PVC Pipe
The color of PVC pipe is traditionally white or dark gray, with a technical description of the pipe printed on the side.
Polybutylene pipe is a gray plastic tubing that was commonly used as a water-supply plumbing pipe between 1978 and 1996, at which time it was discontinued due to reports of pipes rupturing. 1 In new construction, it was replaced by copper or more dependable forms of plastic pipe, such as CPVC and PEX.
Color-Coded: Red PEX pipes can be used for hot water supply lines, blue PEX for cold water supply, and white for either hot or cold. These colors are just for your convenience. Plumbing code does not require the pipe color to match the type of water supply.
Colour coding helps identify pipes for greater efficiency and safety . Red is easily identified for Fire Services. Colourfast colours should be used on all exterior plumbing.
Different Colour Options for HDPE Pipes
Black with blue stripes – used to transport drinking water and potable water. Full Yellow Jacket or Black with Yellow Stripes – used extensively for identification of gas, fuel gas coal seam gas, process gas, and liquefied gases under pressure.
A riser (22) is a pipe running from sink, toilet, or other fixture to a valve. Pipe may be white PVC (23), black polyethylene (24), cream CPVC (25), or gray polybutylene pipe marked "PB 2110 M" (26). These are typically gray or white in color with a dull finish.
A greywater system is used to take water that has already been used from places like your laundry, shower and sink and divert it to use in another purpose like watering gardens or landscaping instead of flushing it down into the sewer.
Red – electric power lines, cables, conduit, and lighting cables. Yellow – natural gas, oil, steam, petroleum, or gaseous materials. Orange - communications, alarm/signal lines, cables, or conduit. Blue – potable water lines.
Home » Blue Poly Water Lines. CALL US NOW. Blue Poly water lines are another name for the Polybutylene that is most commonly used for main water supplies. That is, it used to be used. Blue poly piping is no longer used, and has been out of production since 1995.
Black steel piping is mainly used to carry gas into commercial buildings. This pipe is seamless, and this makes it perfect for carrying gas. Also, this pipe is more fireproof than carbon steel piping. Therefore it is also used in fire sprinkler systems.
One easy way to tell ABS and PVC apart is that ABS pipes are black and PVC pipes are white. But since pipes aren't meant to be seen, plumbers are usually more interested in other qualities. For example, PVC is more flexible, but ABS is stronger and more shock resistant.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is one of the most commonly used thermoplastic polymers worldwide (next to only a few more widely used plastics like PET and P.P.). It is naturally white and very brittle (before the additions of plasticizers) plastic.
PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) is white, while ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is usually black or grey. ABS piping is typically stronger than PVC and is more resistant to thermal shock from extreme cold, but it may warp if left exposed to direct sunlight. This makes ABS well-suited for underground pipe applications.
PVC piping color codes are important because they help workers easily identify the kind of content that the pipe can carry; if they are hazardous or not.
When color marking is used, potable water lines should be painted green and nonpotable water lines should be painted yellow.