Tradie's massive find under lawn highlights 'severe' property danger for Aussies

It's a 'common' thing for plumbers to find in gardens and can lead to very expensive repairs for homeowners.

The 'massive' root being pulled outside the NSW Central Coast home (left) and plumber Mitchell Evans uses both his hand to try grab the root (right).
Plumber Mitchell Evans pulled a 'massive' root system out of a drainage pipe on the NSW Central Coast. Source: TikTok/turnerandcoplumbing

Homeowners were squirming after seeing a video of a tradie pulling long, brown sludge from a drainage pipe hidden under the lawn outside an Aussie home. Commonly described as a "land worm", the common garden problem can cost as much as $20,000 to rectify in serious cases.

Plumber Mitchell Evans recently removed the "massive" tree root from inside the pipe at the property situated on the NSW Central Coast and told his colleague Fynn Nevstad it was "the largest he's ever seen" in the 20 years he's been in the industry.

"It was a very strong root and thankfully it stayed intact," Nevstad told Yahoo News, explaining he was the man behind the camera capturing the video. "The root had probably been growing in there for about 30 years."

The team at Turner & Co Plumbing often dig out tree roots from drainage pipes, and it can be a costly — yet necessary — job for homeowners to deal with.

Tree roots are naturally drawn to water and even the smallest crack in a drainage pipe is enough for roots to detect moisture and grow toward it, Trent X from PTB Plumbing told Yahoo News.

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"If left unaddressed, stormwater system damage can escalate into severe plumbing and property issues," he said, explaining pipes can collapse and flooding can occur. It can even result in health hazards occurring due to stagnant water.

The cost to repair the issue can differ from plumber to plumber, however, in the instance where a full system replacement is needed, homeowners can be looking at up to $20,000.

A proactive approach is the best defence against the issue growing out of hand, and gutter maintenance is an easy way homeowners can prevent debris from entering the stormwater system. Ensuring trees with invasive root systems are not planted near plumbing is also important.

Installation considerations, such as the pipe's materials and having inspection openings that provide easy access for plumbers, are important and is something to consider if you're building a home.

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Steven Hussey, Suncorp's head of assessing and supply chain, told Yahoo that insurance claims for damage caused by tree roots blocking drains do occur.

"Regardless of which type of pipe your trees are near, prevention is always more cost-effective and less invasive than repairing resultant damage and pipework," he advised.

"We recommend regular maintenance, proactive inspections and thoughtful tree planning to protect your home and garden from blocked drains and pipes."

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