The house next door has recently sold, but we share a pipe (wastewater) and their side gets tree roots growing (also their tree), and in the past they have had it sorted when it blocks.
It's been sold and the problem is happening again, what would you suggest I do regarding contacting whoever owns the property now? I'm not sure if there are new owners, it's currently empty.
I can't afford to get it fixed. If it were on my property I would have had the offending tree removed when it first happened, but they decided not to do that.
What should my approach here be?

huggy5 - 2020-12-01 17:56:00

Contact your local council and ask for the contact details of the new owner.

tony9 - 2020-12-01 19:43:00

tony9 wrote:

Contact your local council and ask for the contact details of the new owner.

Yes I agree.
Contact Council or even The Realestate Agent who sold The house.

Edited by ferrit47 at 11:20 am, Wed 2 Dec

ferrit47 - 2020-12-02 11:19:00

There are copper-based chemicals you can put down the pipe to kill off invading roots. I think Mitre 10 sells it.

masturbidder - 2020-12-02 17:26:00

masturbidder wrote:

There are copper-based chemicals you can put down the pipe to kill off invading roots. I think Mitre 10 sells it.

Yeh,way to go.

hammer23 - 2020-12-05 23:36:00

I'm not sure that Councils like the use of Copper based root killers in NZ.
Call the Council & find out first, I think they wreck havoc on the treatment plant & such.
If they are ok with it then I guess it's ok.
All I could find on the internet was a alterative, used in Aussie.
https://www.silverwaterplumbing.com.au/using-rootx-to-unbloc
k-a-drain/

marte - 2020-12-06 04:05:00

Copper sulphate crystals. Cheap from hardware stores. Been around for ever and also commonly used as fertiliser. Never heard of my local council banning it.

artemis - 2020-12-06 07:46:00

I'm sort of 'downstream' of the blockage if that makes sense? It's on the neighbours property which is currently empty so I'm not sure I could get root killer into the right place.
I would also have thought the roots would need to be ground back first?

huggy5 - 2020-12-06 09:34:00

huggy5 wrote:

I'm sort of 'downstream' of the blockage if that makes sense? It's on the neighbours property which is currently empty so I'm not sure I could get root killer into the right place.
I would also have thought the roots would need to be ground back first?

Just needs to be flushed into the sewer pipe.

artemis - 2020-12-06 09:44:00

If you are downstream of the blockage then how does it affect you? It will only bank up in the neighbors pipes & yours will flow freely.

johnn - 2020-12-06 09:53:00

johnn wrote:

If you are downstream of the blockage then how does it affect you? It will only bank up in the neighbors pipes & yours will flow freely.

It's what the plumber said last time, I had no reason not to believe him.

huggy5 - 2020-12-06 09:57:00

If its blocked upstream and it only has one vent at the end it won't be able to vent the air so it won't drain very well.

loud_37 - 2020-12-06 10:38:00

I also wouldn't just leave it, we had a similar situation with the blockage on the neighbours property, causing significant smell which the neighbours claimed wasn't coming from their property.

I'd just report it to whoever is responsible for wastewater in your area and let them sort it out.

sparkychap - 2020-12-06 10:52:00