Blue pipes are used for potable or drinking water. Green pipes are sewer and drain lines.
Polybutylene pipes can be the trademark blue color, but they can also be black or gray. If your water main pipe is blue, black, or gray plastic, you may have polybutylene. These pipes were often paired with copper connectors. Look for the letters “PB” or “QEST” printed on the pipes.
Black or blue pipe for potable water are made of high density polyethylene type PE4710. Due to its flexibility and increased resistance to long-term fatigue cracking, this second generation polyethylene pipe can support higher pressure. The nontoxic food resin is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Blue: Potable Water| White: Irrigation and Water. Green: Sewer. Purple: Reclaimed Water.
Black MDPE vs Blue MDPE - what's the difference? Under BS EN 12201 plain black MDPE is used for above ground drinking water (potable) systems, whereas blue MDPE is used for drinking water systems below ground.
MDPE (Medium Density Polyethylene) pipe is colour coded to the services that they carry to make services easy to identify. Blue pipe carries drinking water. Barrier pipe is to used carry water through contaminated soil.
Red – Electric power lines, conduit and cables. Orange – Telecommunication, alarm or signal lines. Yellow – Gas, oil, steam, petroleum, or other flammable material. Green – Sewage and drain lines. Blue – Drinking water.
MDPE pipe is sometimes referred to as, alkathene pipe, pe pipe, water pipe, poly pipe, blue water pipe and pe80 pipe.
Blue or green staining occurs exclusively with copper pipe and fittings (including brass, which is copper + zinc), and is caused by the corrosion and dissolution of the metal itself.
The blue on PVC is a fast-setting cement. It's typically used where water is present — sprinkler installers use it in damp conditions — or when fast assembly and setup of the pipes is desired. It's approved by some codes without a primer for use on nonpressurized drain pipes.
Polybutylene underground yard service pipe is usually blue, but it may be gray or black. It is usually ¾ or 1 in diameter, and it may be found entering your home through the basement wall or floor, concrete slab or coming up through your crawlspace. Frequently it enters the home near the water heater.
In our PE80 SDR11 blue water pipe category, diameters of 20mm, 25mm, 32mm, 50mm, and 63mm are available.
Green – sewer lines.
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.
Type L copper is thinner than Type K but thicker than type M. Type L copper is usually identified by a blue stamp. This is the type that professional plumbers use for most indoor residential water supply lines.
Color-coded for your convenience (red pipes are for hot water, blue pipes are for cold water and white or gray pipes can carry both but are often used for single-line uses to help easily identify lines used to supply exterior spigots or single-temp faucets)
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.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Pipe PVC pipes are widely used in new water main connections. However, PVC is one of the oldest synthetic material in use for many other applications. PVC is thermoplastic and can be softened and molded. This means that PVC pipes are ideal for trenchless construction and installation.
Blue MDPE plastic pipe is intended for underground use only as it can be damaged by exposure to UV light. Black MDPE pipework is suitable for above ground sections exposed to UV light.
A downspout, waterspout, downpipe, drain spout, drainpipe, roof drain pipe, or leader is a pipe for carrying rainwater from a rain gutter.
Red PEX pipe carries hot water. Blue PEX pipe carries cold water. White PEX pipe can be used for either hot or cold water.
You're probably familiar with PVC pipe. It's the white plastic pipe commonly used for plumbing and drainage. PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride, and it's become a common replacement for metal piping.