Essentially, bamboo and cane is the same thing. They are both grasses in the Poaceae family of grass. There are hundreds of species of bamboos; however, most bamboo timber is sourced from the Phyllostachys and Bambusa genera. Most bamboo species are native to South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia.
Those living in older homes should have their water tested to see if lead is a problem. Plastic pipe such as PVC (polyvinyl chloride, used for cold water only), and CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride, used for both hot and cold water) have been around for years, and both are approved for use with drinking water.
1 When PEX tubing is placed in soil and is used in potable water systems intended to supply drinking water to fixtures or appliances, the tubing or piping shall be sleeved with a material approved for potable water use in soil or other material that is impermeable to solvents or petroleum products. Several studies and articles comparing potable water pipe materials, including variants of PEX, polybutylene, polypropylene, CPVC, copper and steel, have found that PEX, at least initially, displayed the strongest biofilm formation and the strongest promotion of the growth of Legionella bacteria.