What You Need To Know About Trees and Your Sewer

The sewer is not only a place for the ninja turtles, it could also be housing an unwanted guest-- the tree in your yard! As trees grow, their roots extend deeper into the soil and they look for water and nutrients anywhere they can get it. Their search might leave them inside of your sewer, and that is certainly not ideal. Let's take a deeper look into how root infestation starts and some possible ways to prevent it. 

What attracts trees to sewer lines? 

To homeowners, a sewer is just a convenient way to get rid of your excess water and waste. To a tree, a sewer is a pipeline of nutrients that are critical for survival. As warm wastewater travels through your pipeline, some of the moisture escapes into the cooler soil that surrounds it. If a tree is in the vicinity, it will naturally try and stretch its roots to the source of this moisture. Once it arrives, it can enter the pipe through even the smallest cracks and begin to expand once it is inside. 

How bad can it get?

Well, it really depends on how early you can diagnose the problem. Slow draining water, noisy toilets and backed up drains are all indicators of possible sewer line damage. If you have experienced any of these problems, you might want to schedule a video inspection of your pipes. This is the most effective way to determine if tree roots or anything else has infiltrated their pathway. 

Is there anything I can do to prevent it?

It can be hard to prevent damage that you can’t see approaching, but it isn’t impossible. Before you improve your landscape, you should be aware of where your laterals and main sewer lines are located. Try and keep all of your trees and shrubs at least 10 feet away from these areas. If you already have some large trees on your property, you should schedule regular maintenance with a professional. This will help catch major sewer blockages before they occur. 

At Nassau County Plumbing & Sewer Rooter, we offer a wide range of plumbing and sewer services to help ease your troubles. We have been in the business for over 50 years and that experience has given us the tools to handle any job.

To learn more about our water-jetting and sewer cleaning service, call 516-874-7937 or visit us on the web!