Key Takeaways
- As a tree grows, its roots can infiltrate a property’s drain and sewer lines, especially if the piping has small cracks, loose joints, or soft spots.
- Common signs of tree root intrusion include slow drains, gurgling or backed up toilets, unpleasant odors emitting from drains or yards, unusually green patches of vegetation, and sinkhole formation.
- Avoid DIY approaches and opt for professional solutions, such as hydro jetting, to effectively address root intrusion and avoid plumbing issues, unnecessary repairs, and negative environmental impacts.
- To protect your sewer pipes, you can take preventive measures, such as scheduling regular inspections, choosing sewer-safe trees, and installing root barriers.
Learning How Tree Root Intrusion Can Impact Sewer and Drain Lines
Most yards in Portland, Oregon, have a mixture of functional elements like sewer lines underneath the surface and aesthetic features like vegetation above ground—sometimes, these components interfere with one another. As they grow and expand, some tree roots damage sewer lines by penetrating small holes or loose joints.
Tree root intrusion can affect the sewer pipes’ ability to carry wastewater from homes or buildings to municipal systems. Having roots in sewer lines can result in slow drains, unpleasant odors, or unusual features in your yard. It is important to be able to recognize signs of tree roots invading your underground piping so you can address the issue as soon as possible.
Hiring a qualified environmental professional can help minimize tree root damage throughout your property. A specialist can use techniques like hydrojetting to clear out roots in sewer lines and preserve the functionality of your plumbing system.
Read through the considerations below to better understand how tree roots damage sewer lines and how you can prevent this issue altogether.
What is Tree Root Intrusion?
Tree root intrusion is when roots penetrate sewer lines or drain pipes, usually in search of moisture and nutrients. If the roots in their sewer lines are small enough, property owners may not notice much difference in their piping performance. However, as time elapses, even small roots can expand and break your sewer line or cause blockages by preventing toilet paper and other material from passing through, leading to issues like backups if they are not addressed.
Importance of Protecting Sewer Lines
Protecting your sewer pipes from root intrusion is vital to maintaining a functional plumbing system that can effectively carry wastewater from your residential or commercial property to the municipal system. Historically, unaddressed tree root intrusion has led to issues, such as:
- Blockages – Roots in sewer lines can impede the flow of wastewater. These blockages can contribute to slow drainage.
- Backups – If the obstructing roots are large enough, sewage may back up into homes or buildings. Unfortunately, the bacteria in backed-up sewage may present health hazards and demand extensive cleanup services.
- Complete system failure – In extreme cases, unaddressed root growth can cause pipes to collapse or degenerate to the point of no return, potentially requiring a full system replacement.
Protecting your underground pipes by relying on professional guidance can minimize the risk of expensive repairs and health hazards.
Signs of Tree Root Intrusion
If you notice the following indicators, tree roots may have penetrated your drain or sewer lines, and you should contact an environmental professional as soon as possible.
Slow-Moving Drains
If water drains more slowly than usual in your sinks, tubs, or toilets, this may indicate partially clogged sewer lines or blockages caused by roots.
Gurgling Toilets
Abnormal gurgling sounds from toilets can signal trapped air, which may result from root-induced blockages.
Unpleasant Odors
Foul smells emanating from drains or the yard may be traced back to sewage backups caused by root obstructions.
Toilet Backups
Frequent toilet backups can signal significant root intrusion, especially when multiple fixtures are affected by the same issue.
Greener Patches in Yard
Finding unusually lush or green areas in your yard may signify leaking sewage from root-damaged pipes.
Formation of Sinkholes
In extreme cases, sewer lines that roots have compromised can leak enough to cause extensive soil erosion, leading to sinkholes or depressions in the yard.
How Tree Roots Enter Sewer Lines
Roots usually infiltrate sewer/septic pipes through small cracks, loose joints, or soft spots because plant life is naturally drawn to the moisture escaping from the pipes. Once inside, roots can start to expand. As they grow, they can cause major damage and increase the risk of blockages within the sewer line pipes.
Consequences of Tree Root Damage
Unfortunately, invasive tree roots damage sewer lines when left unaddressed, posing the following risks.
Plumbing Issues and Blockages
Tree root intrusion in sewer lines can lead to significant plumbing problems, ranging from slow drains and occasional backups to complete blockages or collapse.
Costly Repairs
Addressing extensive tree root damage may demand labor-intensive repairs, such as pipe replacement or trenchless rehabilitation—these may come with substantial expenses.
Environmental Impacts
Leaking sewage due to root-damaged pipes can contaminate soil and groundwater with harmful bacteria, posing health risks for inhabitants and nearby ecosystems.
Should You Use DIY Solutions for Tree Root Intrusion?
While some property owners report temporary relief after attempting DIY methods, like using copper sulfate and other chemical root killers or drain cleaners, these approaches often fail to address the underlying structural concerns. On the other hand, professional sewer services can provide long-term solutions.
Environmental specialists have the knowledge, experience, and tools needed to address roots in sewer lines in the most effective and least invasive way possible. Schedule an assessment with a qualified professional—they can build a dependable tree root intrusion intervention plan tailored to your property’s unique needs.
Professional Solutions for Tree Root Intrusion
Thankfully, environmental professionals and expert plumbers can help return your sewer line pipes to an ideal, functioning condition after tree root intrusion. Depending on the severity of the issue and the property specifications, the following routes can be taken to address roots in sewer lines.
Invasive Repair Techniques
Traditional sewer line repair approaches have required excavation services to remove and replace damaged pipes. Although this method is time-tested and effective, it can significantly disrupt the land and result in high labor costs.
Non-Invasive Repair Techniques
Thankfully, modern solutions, such as hydro jetting, pipe bursting, and trenchless pipe lining, provide a less invasive alternative to excavation-based sewer line repair. These methods of trenchless sewer repair can save time and money, making them popular services for clearing roots and reinforcing pipes when extensive digging is not required.
Preventive Measures
In many cases, tree root intrusion can be avoided altogether if property owners take the following precautionary measures.
Regular Plumbing Inspections
Regularly scheduling a sewer camera inspection and drain cleaning allows professional plumbers and environmental specialists to detect early signs of tree roots in your sewer lines. Timely intervention can make avoiding extensive tree root damage to your property easier—once per year is cheap yet valuable insurance.
Choosing Sewer-Safe Trees
While making landscaping decisions, it is essential to plant trees and other forms of vegetation without aggressive root systems to avoid interference with piping. Additionally, each tree should be planted at a safe distance from sewer line pipes to minimize the risk of intrusion.
Installing Root Barriers
In some situations, physical barriers can be installed underground to redirect root growth away from sewer lines. You can achieve long-term protection by guiding plant growth away from vulnerable underground structures.
Protect Your Sewer and Drain Lines with Alpha Environmental
Since plant life naturally seeks out water sources, even those shielded by pipes, tree roots damage sewer lines fairly often. If there is a small crack or loose joint in a residential or commercial property’s sewer line pipes, they may be particularly susceptible to tree root intrusion. After slowly penetrating those openings, small roots in sewer lines are known to expand over time, potentially leading to complications like pipe blockages and sewage backups.
It is important to look for warning signs of tree roots in your plumbing system, from gurgling toilets to unpleasant odors emanating from drains or the yard. If you notice these issues, immediately contact a trusted environmental professional to avoid further tree root damage.
With over two decades of experience under our belts, Alpha Environmental thoroughly understands how tree roots damage sewer lines. This means we know the best ways to address tree root intrusion and how to prevent the problem altogether. Our comprehensive sewer services can safeguard your pipes and plumbing fixtures against root-related problems and give you the peace of mind you deserve.
Reach out to Alpha Environmental if your property is experiencing any sewer-related issues.
