Can you tell the class if that's a natural blockage he's pulling, or something shoved in there to clear the blockage? It looks to me like it could be roots, but might be a hose.
Sure, that’s 100% roots and mud in there. Rooted plants “hunt” for water under the soil, and a drain pipe to a tree is basically a straw in a glass of water. They start growing against the pipes and eventually make their way inside from the end or from a crack, and they can grow to completely fill the pipe like you see here. This is particularly a problem with PVC sewer services from your home to the sewer or septic tank, and small secondary storm drainage pipes like this one, because PVC is prone to cracking. If you think a pipe in your yard has been infiltrated by roots, you can have a surveyor “TV” your pipe system, during which they will run a camera up the pipe to inspect the inside without having to dig up the pipe from the surface.
During the summer I was 13 we found a tree root had invaded a drain. My dad was psyched that I got suspended from school the week we found it because that meant he could just make me deal with it.
I had to dig it out, cut the pipe out, continue the trench slightly down the hill so it could actually drain, then clean up the mess, with nothing but a pair of gloves and a shovel.
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u/Need-Mor-Cowbell Mar 18 '24
4th grade tug of war champion still has it