Tree Roots Are Destroying Sewer Lines Across Bergen County

Drive through Ridgewood, Teaneck, or Fair Lawn and you'll see what makes Bergen County beautiful, and what wrecks its sewer lines: big, mature trees standing over homes built decades ago on clay sewer pipe.

Why roots love your sewer line

Sewer lines carry warm, nutrient-rich water. To a tree root, a tiny gap at a clay-pipe joint is an all-you-can-eat buffet. Roots slip in, thrive, and grow into a dense mat that catches everything flushed down the drain.

The warning signs

• Backups that return every few months no matter how often you snake
• Gurgling toilets and slow drainage throughout the house
• Unusually lush, fast-growing grass over the sewer line's path

Cutting roots isn't a cure

Mechanically cutting roots restores flow, but they grow back, usually within 1 to 3 years, because the gap they entered through is still there. That's why a camera inspection matters: it shows exactly where roots are getting in.

The permanent fix

For chronic intrusion, lining the affected section (CIPP) seals the joints into one seamless, jointless pipe roots can't penetrate. It's trenchless, so your landscaping stays intact. For homeowners tired of paying for the same backup twice a year, it ends the cycle.

If you've got mature trees and an older home anywhere in Bergen County, it's worth knowing the condition of your line before the next backup.