Sewer Dig Up

Project Overview

Pride Plumbing NSW was called to a Sydney home with a major drainage blockage. Tree roots had worked their way into the underground drainage and packed it solid, which is what old earthenware pipes are prone to as the joints break down over time.

We dug up the failed sewer and stormwater lines down the side of the house and replaced the lot with new UPVC drainage. UPVC runs in sealed lengths with no open joints for roots to get into, so this is a permanent fix rather than another clear that lasts a few months.

Scope of Work

A full sewer and stormwater dig-up and replacement on a root-damaged drainage system, in a tight side-of-house access way.

• Locating and marking out the failed drainage run
• Excavating the sewer and stormwater trench by hand in restricted access
• Working safely around a live gas meter and service in the trench
• Removing all root-damaged earthenware pipes
• Installing new UPVC sewer and stormwater drainage
• New inspection points along the run
• Strip drain to catch surface water
• Backfill and reinstatement

Our Approach And Solution

The first job was finding the cause. A camera and the dig confirmed tree roots had got into the earthenware joints and blocked the line, so clearing it would only buy a few months. The fix was to replace the pipe entirely. The access made it harder than most: a narrow path down the side of the house with a live gas meter sitting right in the run, so the trench had to be dug carefully by hand around the gas service.

We pulled out all the old earthenware, laid new UPVC for both the sewer and stormwater, and set inspection points along the way so the line can be checked and cleared easily in future. A strip drain at the end picks up surface water that was pooling against the house. With sealed UPVC in the ground, the roots have nothing to get into and the drainage is sorted for good.