Northumbrian Water has embarked on a project to stop tree roots from damaging sewer pipes by developing a special substance that can be applied to pipes.
The company collaborated with Durham University and Intelligent Gels to develop and showcase the use of a copper formulation that forms a protective barrier inside pipes to stop roots growing into them.
Tree roots can block sewer pipes on their own or by forming a web, which then catches objects that have been flushed into the sewer network.
Northumbrian said tree roots caused 637 blockages across its network last year, which accounted for about five per cent of total blockages.
Intelligent Gels said the gels are based on natural polymers, which means they can be used in complex environmental applications either inside or outside of pipeline systems.
Simon Cyhanko, head of wastewater networks at Northumbrian Water, said: “Tree roots increase the risk of flooding to our customers by causing blockages in the sewer pipes and cost us thousands of pounds every year to repair.
“However, trees are vitally important to the environment and we don’t want to kill them or dig them out, we’d just like to deflect their roots.”
The eco-friendly gel can be applied to the inside of existing sewer pipes and coated on new pipes, to stop tree roots invading without killing the tree.
A sewer pipe showcasing how the gel works is on display in Durham University’s Botanical Garden to highlight how destructive roots can be to pipes.
The project is part of a partnership between Northumbrian and the university to share research and development expertise to tackle water-related challenges.