A tradie’s “massive” six-metre discovery in a flooded home’s stormwater drain has sparked an urgent warning to Aussies. Last week, a family living in Bilgola, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, noticed that a pipe running down the side of their property wasn’t draining properly, forcing water from the backyard to seep into their house.
Seeking urgent help, they contacted Kevin Barry, a local man who has been tackling blocked drain pipes in the area for more than 30 years. When he arrived at the home on Wednesday, it didn’t take him long to identify the culprit — a roughly six-metre-long tree root with a width of about 10cm had invaded their stormwater pipe, causing serious issues.
“The pit was very close to the back door, so it flooded the house,” Barry, who co-owns Streamline Drains & Pipelines with his wife Alex, told Yahoo News Australia, noting that tree roots often work their way into stormwater systems “where the integrity is broken”, whether that’s a crack in a pit, or a pipe’s joint.
However, residents are typically oblivious until heavy rainfall brings the issue to light.
“When you have tree roots in your sewer, because you’re using it every day and it’s got paper and solids going through it, you get a warning. You get gurgles, or the flush isn’t quite right — you get some sort of indication that there’s a problem coming,” Kevin explained.
“With stormwater, because there’s no solids going through it, it has to be 100 per cent fully blocked in order for the stormwater not to seep through it. It’s a much worse blockage because you’ve had no warning system.”
Common problem can cost Aussies up to $10,000
Tree roots blocking drain pipes is a common occurrence across Australia, with a plumber previously telling Yahoo it can cost some homeowners up to $10,000 to rectify.
To remove the large tree root and fix their broken stormwater system, the Bilgola family paid $450, but bills can vary depending if properties are located on the high end of the street, or the low end, Kevin said.
In April, plumber Joel Murphy pulled a seemingly endless invasive tree root out of a stormwater drain at a home on Queensland’s Gold Coast. Source: TikTok/AHAPlumbing
With more heavy rain expected to smash parts of the country in the coming months, the tradie has urged homeowners to pay attention to what’s occurring on their property and reach out for help before any potential issues worsen.
“How long has it been since you’ve cleaned your stormwater drain? I know the answer. You’ve never done it. No one ever does it until it’s a problem,” Kevin said, adding that residents should also make sure whatever contractor they hire has “good equipment”.
“Experience is everything, there’s no doubt about that. I’ve been doing this all day, every day, for 35 years, and the difference in my efficiency with really good gear and really bad gear is huge.”
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