Thanks to modern polymer technology, crosslinked polyethylene (PEX) piping systems perform in ways that provide superior reliability and safety when compared to polybutylene (PB) piping systems used in plumbing and heating applications in Canada and USA until the mid-1990s.

Lead had been associated with plumbing since the ancient times. The chemical symbol for lead (Pb) is derived from the Latin word plumbum, which means 'waterworks' or 'plumbing' as lead was used to make water pipes.

Flush volume refers to how much water is released when a toilet is flushed. Since January 1994 all. toilets sold in the U.S. must use 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) or less.

Polybutylene pipes are a type of plastic piping that was once widely used for potable water supply lines in residential homes from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. The pipes are made of a flexible plastic material that breaks down easily with water chlorination and can flake chemical residue into the water supply.