Household plumbing systems use PEX for pipes to supply water and carry away sewage. The term PEX stands for "crosslinked polyethylene." PEX piping is manufactured by melting high-density polyethylene ...

NEW: A Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association official has a rebuttal to the Beyond Plastics report covered in this story. Read the detailed update here. Bennington, Vt.-based Beyond Plastics, a nonprofit ...

A report warning cities against the use of PVC pipes in water systems sparked swift and resounding criticism from the plastics industry, its advocates and at least one leading scientific expert.