{"id":2657,"date":"2019-06-12T00:03:05","date_gmt":"2019-06-12T07:03:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/pal\/pal-question-450\/"},"modified":"2023-08-04T13:37:18","modified_gmt":"2023-08-04T20:37:18","slug":"tree-roots-and-sewer-lines","status":"publish","type":"pal","link":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/pal\/tree-roots-and-sewer-lines\/","title":{"rendered":"tree roots and sewer lines"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have several sewer pipes that are getting plugged by tree<\/strong>
\nroots on my grounds. I have used a rooter to remove the majority of the<\/strong>
\nroots and know would like to detour their return by using a chemical<\/strong>
\ncalled Root Free. It is a Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate. Is this product safe for my trees if used according to label?<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Here is a link to
\ninformation on this chemical<\/a> from the Pesticide Action Network’s
\ndatabase. This link<\/a> leads to the Material Safety Data Sheet for Copper sulfate
\npentahydrate.<\/p>\n

This product is highly toxic to humans and aquatic life, but should not
\nharm the trees. My question would be whether it makes more sense to
\nremove entirely any trees with invasive roots, and replant with other
\nplants whose roots will not cause trouble with the sewer pipes, rather
\nthan use copper sulfate. See information below from UGA College of Family
\nand Consumer Sciences Cooperative Extension Service:<\/p>\n

\n

Tree roots can enter sewage and drainfield lines and cause plugging of
\nthe lines. Lines should not be placed near trees, and trees should not be
\nplanted near lines. Remove tree roots mechanically or flush copper
\nsulfate crystals down the toilet to help discourage or destroy the roots
\nwhere the solution comes in contact with them. Some time must elapse
\nbefore the roots are killed and broken off. Recommended dosage rates are
\ntwo pounds per 300 gallons of tank capacity. No more than two
\napplications per year are recommended. Time the application of copper
\nsulfate to allow minimum dilution and maximum contact time. Copper
\nsulfate will corrode chrome, iron and brass, so avoid contact with these
\nmaterials. Used in recommended dosage, copper sulfate will not interfere
\nwith septic tank operation. Neither mechanical removal nor copper sulfate
\ncontact is a permanent solution for tree roots. Remove the trees for a
\npermanent solution to the problem.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Here are some links to more information tree roots and sewer lines and about planting on drain fields:<\/p>\n

Tree Roots vs. Sewer Lines<\/a> from the city of Paso Robles, CA.<\/p>\n

Choosing Sewer Safer Trees<\/a><\/p>\n

Planting on Your Septic Drain Field<\/a><\/p>\n

And here are some suggestions for alternative plantings:<\/p>\n

Landscaping Your Drainfield<\/a><\/p>\n

If you do decide to go ahead and use the Root Free, by all means follow
\nthe directions to the letter, as it is required by law. You may want to
\ncheck with Seattle Public Utilities Drainage and Sewer Maintenance to
\nmake sure that use of this chemical in the sewer system is permitted:
\n206-386-1800<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have several sewer pipes that are getting plugged by tree roots on my grounds. I have used a rooter to remove the majority of the roots and know would like to detour their return by using a chemical called Root Free. It is a Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate. Is this product safe for my trees if used according to label?   Here is a link to information on this chemical from the Pesticide Action Network’s database. This link leads to…<\/p>\n

Continue reading tree roots and sewer lines<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","keyword":[595,548],"class_list":["post-2657","pal","type-pal","status-publish","hentry","keyword-landscaping-drain-fields","keyword-tree-roots"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pal\/2657"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pal"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/pal"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"keyword","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/keyword?post=2657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}