Drain & Sewer Tips / Sewer Problems

In Colorado's semi-arid climate, tree roots are professional water-finders — and the warm, wet, nutrient-rich inside of your sewer line is the best water source in the yard. In older neighborhoods, roots are the single most common cause of sewer damage we see.

How roots get into a sealed pipe

They don't break in — they grow in. Older clay and concrete lines have joints every few feet, and decades of soil movement open hairline gaps at those joints. Roots sense the moisture vapor escaping, send in feather-fine feelers, and once inside they thicken and branch into a root mass that catches everything your household sends down. Given enough time, the expanding roots crack or crush the pipe itself.

Warning signs, in the order they usually appear

1. One slow drain, then several
2. Gurgling — especially the lowest drains in the house
3. Recurring clogs in the same line, each closer together than the last
4. Backups after heavy water use (laundry day, holiday guests)
5. Outside: unusually green or lush grass stripes over the sewer path, or sunken/soggy spots

Roots grow, so root problems only accelerate. The gap between "slow drain" and "sewage backup" is often just a few months.

Which trees are the worst offenders

Fast-growing, thirsty species top the list locally: cottonwoods, willows, silver maples, poplars, and elms. But any mature tree within about 20 feet of your sewer path can be the culprit — and it doesn't have to be YOUR tree. A neighbor's cottonwood will happily cross the property line underground.

Getting roots out

• Mechanical root cutting clears the blockage and restores flow — the standard first step.
• Hydro jetting with a root-cutting head shears roots off at the pipe wall and flushes them out — more thorough, and it cleans the line at the same time.
• Camera inspection afterward answers the critical question: is the pipe still sound? Minor intrusion at a joint or two means cleaning plus monitoring. A root-cracked or crushed section means a spot repair before it becomes a collapse.

Important: cutting roots is a haircut, not a cure. They grow back through the same gaps — typically within 1–3 years — unless the entry points are addressed.

Keeping them out

• Schedule annual or semi-annual root maintenance if your line has a known intrusion (far cheaper than emergency calls)
• Know where your lateral runs before planting anything new; keep thirsty species well away
• If sections are failing, replace them with modern gasketed PVC — roots can't penetrate sound joints
• Buying an older home with big trees? Get the sewer scoped before closing

The bottom line

Roots in the line are manageable if you catch them early and know the pipe's actual condition. The camera tells you which situation you have; the calendar keeps it from surprising you again.

Mature trees and slow drains in Colorado Springs, Monument, or Larkspur? Drain Plumber Pro cuts the roots and shows you the pipe — free estimates: (719) 639-4137.