Illustrations
6 pages
Publisher:
CSIRO Building, Construction and Engineering
Plant roots are attracted to moisture and nutrients inside pipes and can invade wherever water vapour and moisture can pass through cracks and joints – even though pipes might appear to be well-sealed. The environment inside a sanitary drain is ideal for root growth. Plants form a single cell at the root tip and these cells are minute enough to penetrate even very small apertures. The roots then spread and can eventually cause blockages or even total failure of the pipework. Steps that can be taken to alleviate the problem, once penetration has occurred, are discussed in this BTF, and the common and botanical names of 412 trees and shrubs, together with their recommended planting distances from sanitary drains, are included in a supplement to this brief.
This brief is concerned with sanitary drains and not with those intended to carry stormwater or other effluents that can require different treatment in the event of root penetration.
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