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Asbestos pipes: where cement pipe turns up and what to leave alone

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Older water, drainage and flue pipes can be asbestos cement. They are usually low risk while intact, and a real problem once someone cuts or breaks them.

Some pipes in older Australian homes are made of asbestos cement. The NSW Government portal lists flue and water pipes among the places asbestos can be found around a home. It also puts pipes in its examples of non-friable asbestos. So the pipe itself is a bonded material. The risk starts when somebody cuts it, breaks it or digs it up.

Where asbestos pipes turn up

Think of the runs you rarely see. Stormwater and drainage lines. Old water mains and house connections. Flues from heaters and fireplaces. Vent pipes and garden drains. In an older block, the pipes may have been laid decades before you bought it.

You usually cannot tell from the surface. Asbestos cement pipe is grey, heavy and dull, and so are plenty of other materials. Only a NATA-accredited laboratory can confirm what it is.

The trap is the job, not the pipe

A pipe sitting undisturbed in the ground is not what causes trouble. Trouble comes with a plumber's saw, a shovel through a trench, or a jackhammer on a driveway. The material is bonded, but breaking it can release fibres.

So before any dig or pipe repair on an older property, ask what the pipe is. Tell your plumber or excavator that the property is old. A good trade will stop and check.

What you should not do

  • Do not cut, snap or drill a pipe that might be asbestos cement.
  • Do not dig around one with machinery without checking first.
  • Do not tip broken pipe into a general skip.
  • Do not reuse offcuts for garden edging or drains.

If a pipe has already cracked or broken, leave it, keep people away and call your state regulator or a licensed assessor.

Pipes you are replacing

Replacing an old asbestos cement line is not a weekend job. What you may legally remove yourself varies by state, so read what a homeowner can legally remove and check your state regulator. Disposal has its own rules. Asbestos waste does not go in a normal bin.

Pipes are not the same as pipe lagging

Lagging is the insulation wrapped around hot pipes, and it can be a different, more crumbly material. That one has its own page: asbestos pipe lagging. Do not assume the rules for one apply to the other.

Frequently asked questions

Are old water pipes asbestos?

Some can be. The NSW Government portal lists flue and water pipes among places asbestos may be found in an older home. Only a NATA-accredited laboratory can confirm a particular pipe.

Is asbestos cement pipe dangerous if left alone?

Pipe is a non-friable, bonded material. Asbestos in stable, good condition is low risk, according to the NSW Government portal. Cutting, breaking or digging it up is what creates the risk.

Can I cut an asbestos cement pipe myself?

No. Do not cut, snap or drill a pipe that may contain asbestos. Check your state regulator and use a licensed removalist where the law requires one.

How do I know if a pipe is asbestos?

You cannot tell by looking. Treat it as compatible with containing asbestos and have a sample analysed at a NATA-accredited laboratory.

Sources

What this page explains is based on these official sources. If you check one and it does not match what you read here, send it to us and the article gets corrected.

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