Root Intrusion in the Sewer Line

Original sewer piping in Rhode Island and Massachusetts is typically of cast iron inside the foundation. In an effort to spare raw materials that are expensive and, in the case of this particular era, the cast iron usually transitions to clay 3 - 5 feet outside the foundation. The cast iron is married to clay gasket pipe. It is at this transition where the probability of root intrusion begins.

Roots find their way into a sewer line through broken or unsealed joints, cracks in the pipe or transition points between two dissimilar materials, which are often difficult to create a perfect seal at the point of transition.

In the following You Tube video, you will see the vitrified clay pipe broken and off-set in many places. It appears the pipe has been cleaned via hydro-jetting. However, the viewer will still be able to see the roots as they have been cut, growing into the pipe. This video is a perfect illustration for what a broken pipe with off-sets and entry points for roots looks like.

For the sake of understanding how restrictive root intrusion can be, the following video(s) have been added.

This is actually not as bad as it gets. However, what the viewer is able to see here, is how solid the blockage is by not allowing the camera to pass. Restriction stops air flow while also creating a damning effect to which the sewage has to rise above.

To treat sewer lines and prevent root intrusion, Anchor Sewer and Drain Cleaning recommends ROOT-X (click to visit the Root-X web site). "The Root Intrusion Solution"