PVC Pipes Still Clog Rivers Two Years After Hurricane Helene

Two years after Hurricane Helene, PVC pipes from a North Carolina factory still clog rivers, posing environmental and safety risks.

Editorial Desk

October 8, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Woodfin, N.C. — Two years after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, massive amounts of PVC pipes continue to plague the French Broad River, complicating cleanup efforts and raising environmental concerns.

MountainTrue, a nonprofit organization leading the cleanup, has removed hundreds of thousands of pipes from the river, but an estimated number remain scattered across 70 miles of waterways. The debris includes large mounds of tangled pipes, some embedded in sediment and others lodged in trees and under logs.

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IPEX, the Canadian company that produced the pipes, has agreed to pay $500,000 to support MountainTrue’s ongoing work, which has already cost over $1.5 million and 50,000 hours. Despite this, officials say much of the debris remains, with some areas where PVC pipes make up 80% of the total waste.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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