Tree root & drain line - delima ?

CZSteve

My parents (Ft. Worth, TX) have a tree (oak) in the front yard and very near the main sewer line to the street.

Last week the roots cracked the water supply line. While the plumber was making the repair he commented that there obviously is the potential for the roots to break into the sewer line and recommended cutting the tree down.

My mom loves the tree but my dad is concerned about the sewer line and wants to be pro-active by removing the tree.

Best to pro-actively remove or what about monitoring on a yearly basis by calling a plumbing company out to run a cutting snake down the line?
Thoughts?

AllanJ

Perfectly okay to check the sewer pipe every year and not cut down the tree.

If roots enter the sewer pipe the roots will be thin at first. If your plumber discovers roots and clears them out then additional roots the next year will also be thin. But if you wait several years the roots inside the pipe will be fat and more difficult to remove.

To reduce wear on the inside of the pipe, have a video inspection to verify roots are there before putting down a snake.

There is still the possibility that roots just outside the pipe can get fatter and collapse (or squash) the pipe.

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