Advanced Drainage Systems: products, EPDs, and the spec gap
Stormwater moves fast. Specifications do too. If a product family lacks Environmental Product Declarations, design teams often reach for a comparable option that ticks the paperwork box. Here is how Advanced Drainage Systems stacks up on portfolio depth and EPD coverage, and where the commercial upside sits for closing gaps quickly.
Who they are in a sentence
Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS) is a US‑headquartered water management manufacturer focused on stormwater and decentralized wastewater systems, with a strong in‑house recycling footprint and brands that span site, civil and residential applications. See their sustainability hub for current context and targets (ADS Sustainability Report, 2025).
Product range, at a glance
ADS is not a pure play in one pipe. Core lines include corrugated HDPE storm sewer pipe, polypropylene gravity and pressure pipe, inlet structures and basins, geotextiles and geogrids, and subsurface stormwater storage like chambers. Through Infiltrator, they cover septic and leachfield systems, tanks, and advanced treatment components. Net, this is a broad catalog that serves civil infrastructure, commercial sitework, residential, and ag.
How many categories and SKUs
Across pipe diameters, stiffness classes, joints, fittings, chambers, and onsite wastewater components, the portfolio spans several product categories and likely hundreds of SKUs. That breadth is a commercial strength, because it lets specifiers keep systems within one ecosystem, but only when documentation keeps up.
EPD coverage today
Publicly available listings show ADS with limited active, product‑specific EPDs at the moment. A historical declaration for an HDPE corrugated pipe family appears to have lapsed, and new or renewed declarations are not widely visible yet. If that status changes, sales teams should update submittal libraries the same week, since currency matters most when projects do carbon accounting.
Why this matters commercially
Where LEED v5‑aligned owners and public agencies ask for product‑specific EPDs, choosing a product without one carries a scoring or accounting penalty. That pushes project teams toward alternatives that are documentation ready. The result is simple. Without current EPDs, even strong incumbents risk being value‑engineered out late in design, or never shortlisted at all.
Likely bestsellers that need coverage
Corrugated HDPE storm sewer pipe and PP gravity pipe are frequent line items in site and municipal work. They also appear in multidisciplinary specs where engineers expect to pull an EPD into the carbon model. Prioritizing these families first usually unlocks the widest spec impact.
What competitors put on the table
Some likekind and substitutable options do publish product‑specific EPDs. For example, several PVC system makers provide UL‑listed piping EPDs for Schedule 40 DWV systems, which show up in plumbing and site drainage contexts. Composite and GRP pipe suppliers in infrastructure also publish program‑operator EPDs for sewer and pressure classes, which specifiers can lean on when picking conveyance systems. These documents are easy to cite in submittals and often sit one click away in operator portals. As a proof point, IPEX lists PVC piping system EPDs with UL, and Amiblu publishes GRP pipe EPDs with EPD Norway.
Sustainability story helps, paperwork seals it
ADS highlights recycling at industrial scale, processing about 500 million pounds of recycled material in recent years, which is a compelling narrative in pre‑bid meetings (ADS Sustainability Report, 2025). Turning that narrative into frictionless specs still depends on current, product‑specific EPDs that match how engineers buy. The best EPDs map cleanly to how the catalog is sold, include clear declared units, and use the same PCRs competitors reference so apples‑to‑apples comparisons are easy.
Fast path to close the gap
Start with the three biggest revenue lines that recur across public works, site, and commercial projects. Align on the prevailing PCRs competitors use, confirm reference year data availability, and standardize plant boundaries so updates can be rolled forward annually without rework. A white‑glove partner can shoulder data wrangling across plants and vendors so product management and ops leaders stay focused on throughput, not spreadsheets. That is how teams move from we should to we’re published in weeks, not quarters, and it’s how they defend margin when alternatives appear in VE.
Where to watch next
Keep an eye on chamber systems, large diameter pipe, and onsite wastewater tanks. These often show up in decarbonization reports for campuses and municipalities. EPD coverage there can trigger multi‑project preferences inside large owner portfolios. And definately make sure submittal packages put EPD PDFs beside cut sheets in the same folder path, so field teams can find them on a phone.
If your catalog looks like ADS’s, breadth is your edge. Pair it with complete, current EPDs in the categories specifiers reach for first, and the next bid meeting gets a lot shorter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ADS have a dedicated sustainability page I can reference in submittals?
Yes. ADS publishes an interactive sustainability report with goals, performance highlights, and recyclate metrics. You can reference their site in project narratives and CSR checklists (ADS Sustainability Report, 2025).
Which ADS product families should be first in line for EPDs to maximize spec wins?
Corrugated HDPE storm sewer pipe, polypropylene gravity pipe, and stormwater chamber systems, because they appear most often across municipal and sitework scopes.
What competitor EPDs might specifiers cite when choosing alternatives?
PVC piping system EPDs published with UL by major brands like IPEX, and GRP pipe EPDs by Amiblu with EPD Norway. These are frequently used as ready‑made references in carbon models.
Is an older EPD okay or does it need to be brand new?
If the EPD is still valid within its stated period, it typically qualifies for owner and rating‑system requirements. Age inside the validity window usually does not hurt specification, unless expiry is near and renewals are uncertain.
About the Author
Eric works at the intersection of sustainability, regulation, and business strategy, helping manufacturers navigate the evolving landscape of EPDs and LCAs. Having spoken with hundreds of teams across North America, brings a deep understanding of what drives ROI, what regulators are asking for, and how companies can stay ahead with smart, scalable approaches to environmental reporting.
