Blocked Drains Riccarton

Riccarton drains: roots from mature trees and early workers' dwellings

Riccarton was among the first places on the Canterbury Plains settled by Europeans, and its older streets show it. Mature trees line many of them, and Riccarton Bush, one of only four remnants of the forest that once covered the plains, sits within the suburb. Roots go looking for moisture, and an older drain with a weeping joint is an easy target. Once inside they spread into a mat that catches paper and wipes.

The Walker Settlement on Mandeville Street, built in 1909, was among Christchurch's earliest groups of government-built workers' dwellings, and homes of that type often send the toilet, kitchen and laundry down one line to the street. When that single line blocks, everything in the house stops at once. We open it at the gully trap, cut through whatever is there and film the pipe so you can see whether roots or a cracked joint caused it.

Riccarton also has plenty of rentals and the large retail area around Westfield Riccarton and Riccarton Road. For landlords and property managers we can arrange access with tenants and send the footage and a written note of the cause, which helps settle whether the blockage came from use or the pipe. Older houses here have often been extended, and each addition puts another joint in the drain, which is a common place for trouble to start. We film past every join so nothing is missed.

Local tip: If you manage a Riccarton rental, ask tenants to report slow drains early, since a root-affected line usually gives warning before it stops completely.