My Duncraig drain gets roots every year or so. Is jetting worth it?

Often, yes. Hydro jetting cuts the roots back and flushes them out of the pipe, rather than just punching a hole through them. A drain camera then shows where they’re getting in, so you can decide whether that section is worth repairing.

Do you do hydro jetting and drain camera inspections in Greenwood and Kingsley?

Yes. We use the hydro jetter for roots, grease and sand, and a CCTV drain camera to find the cause of a blockage that keeps coming back and how far along the line it is.

Will clearing the roots stop them coming back?

Not by itself. The jetter takes out what has grown into the pipe, but the gap the roots found is still there, so they usually return. A camera check tells you which joint it is, and we’ll be honest about which fixes we do and which we refer on.

How long does it take to get to Duncraig from Ellenbrook?

It depends on where we are and the traffic on Reid Highway. We don’t promise a set time, but we’ll tell you honestly when we can be there.

Who pays if the blockage is in the sewer main?

Blockages in your property plumbing are the owner’s responsibility. If it’s in Water Corporation’s main, normally outside the property, Water Corporation clears it. If we find it there, we call them in.

North · Blocked drains between the freeway and Wanneroo Road

Blocked drains in Duncraig, Greenwood, Warwick and Kingsley

Warwick was going up in the late 1960s, and in 1969 the Gold Land Development Corporation started developing its Greenwood Forest estate, the same year Duncraig’s name was approved. Kingsley was named in 1974. Woodvale stayed farmland until its first houses in 1979. Across this belt, plenty of homes still drain through the pipe they were built with, under verge and backyard trees planted when the streets were new. Roots in those lines are the main reason drains block here, which is why the hydro jetter and the drain camera get used so often.

The short answer

McDermott Plumbing clears blocked drains, toilets and sinks in Duncraig, Greenwood, Warwick, Kingsley, Woodvale and Padbury. Call (08) 6187 3999 or text 0406 882 648. From Ellenbrook it’s a run across on Reid Highway, and we’ll give you a real arrival time when you ring. We clear root blockages with the hydro jetter or a drain machine, and use a CCTV drain camera to find where the roots are getting in. If sewage is overflowing from Water Corporation’s main or onto the street, call Water Corporation on 13 13 75 as well.

Duncraig, Greenwood, Warwick and Padbury

Most of Duncraig was built in a rush. Davallia Primary opened in February 1974, the library that July and Duncraig Primary in February 1975. Glengarry and Poynter primaries followed in 1980. Warwick Grove opened in 1974 to serve the new streets around it. Padbury was named in 1971. In Greenwood, the strip of reserve between it and Duncraig wasn’t touched until the Mitchell Freeway was built through it in 1985–86. Greenwood also has a small commercial and light-industrial pocket around Canham Way.

Water Corporation says homes more than 15 years old are less likely to have PVC sewer pipe, and that a hairline crack is all a root needs to get in. Most original house drains here are three times that age. Big gums and other verge trees, plus decades of backyard planting, put roots right on top of them.

Kingsley and Woodvale: lakeside streets and later estates

Kingsley runs along Lake Goollelal, and a small part of it sits between the lake and Wanneroo Road. Some of its streets are newer than the rest of the belt. Ezio Luisini’s winery by the lake operated from 1929 until 1986, then the land was cut up into suburban lots. Woodvale was mainly rural until the late 1970s. Building started in 1979 and finished in 1995 with the Woodvale Waters estate, and the Yellagonga wetlands split it so that a small slice is still in the City of Wanneroo.

So a house drain in Woodvale or near the lake in Kingsley can be well under 40 years old rather than 50. That’s still well past Water Corporation’s 15-year mark, and gardens in these streets are well established too.

Why jetting and a camera suit this area

A cable machine can punch a hole through a root ball and get water flowing again, and sometimes that’s all a simple choke needs. In a line that roots have been getting into for years, the hydro jetter does a better job. It cuts the roots back and flushes the debris out of the pipe instead of leaving it to catch the next lot of paper. Then the CCTV drain camera shows where the roots came in and whether that joint has cracked or dropped. With that, you can decide whether the section is worth repairing or just clearing every so often.

What blocks drains around Duncraig

Tree roots in original clay or earthenware house drains and joints, by far the most common cause in this belt.
Joints left when a 1970s bathroom or laundry was renovated and new pipe was tied into the old.
Sand washing into outdoor gullies and grated drains around old pavers.
Fat from family kitchens. Water Corporation says fats, oils and grease cause 30% of its wastewater blockages.
Wet wipes and paper towel, which Water Corporation says belong in the bin.

Blocked sink in Duncraig?

In a 1970s Duncraig, Greenwood or Padbury kitchen, a sink that keeps slowing down is usually grease and scraps built up in the trap and the short waste pipe under the bench. Kitchens that have been redone often have a dishwasher teed into the same waste, which adds to it. If only the sink is slow, start with the safe checks in our blocked kitchen sink guide, and skip the caustic drain cleaner. If the shower, toilet or outdoor overflow relief gully is backing up too, the blockage is further down the property drain, often roots. Stop using water and call.

How we clear it

We find the inspection shaft, gully or nearest sensible access point and clear the line, usually with the hydro jetter where roots are involved. If a drain has blocked before, the CCTV drain camera shows what’s causing it and how far along the pipe it is. Jetting doesn’t fix a cracked or collapsed pipe, and if that’s what we find, we’ll tell you, along with what we do ourselves and what we’d refer on.

If the blockage turns out to be in Water Corporation’s main, normally outside the property, it’s theirs to clear and we report it. Blockages within the property plumbing are the owner’s responsibility.

Suburbs we cover here: Duncraig, Greenwood, Warwick, Kingsley, Woodvale and Padbury.

Common questions

My Duncraig drain gets roots every year or so. Is jetting worth it?: Often, yes. Hydro jetting cuts the roots back and flushes them out of the pipe, rather than just punching a hole through them. A drain camera then shows where they’re getting in, so you can decide whether that section is worth repairing.
Do you do hydro jetting and drain camera inspections in Greenwood and Kingsley?: Yes. We use the hydro jetter for roots, grease and sand, and a CCTV drain camera to find the cause of a blockage that keeps coming back and how far along the line it is.
Will clearing the roots stop them coming back?: Not by itself. The jetter takes out what has grown into the pipe, but the gap the roots found is still there, so they usually return. A camera check tells you which joint it is, and we’ll be honest about which fixes we do and which we refer on.
How long does it take to get to Duncraig from Ellenbrook?: It depends on where we are and the traffic on Reid Highway. We don’t promise a set time, but we’ll tell you honestly when we can be there.
Who pays if the blockage is in the sewer main?: Blockages in your property plumbing are the owner’s responsibility. If it’s in Water Corporation’s main, normally outside the property, Water Corporation clears it. If we find it there, we call them in.

Nearby

Blocked drain and plumber pages for the areas next to this one.

How we clear drains here.

Official sources

Last updated 15 October 2026. General information only. Every property is different, so call us to talk about yours.

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