According to the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board, Pierce County has one of the most heavy concentrations of Japanese Knotweed in the state. We share this designation with six other Washington counties. “Mowing or cutting plant shoots is ineffective alone; however, mowing followed by herbicide treatments will provide some control. Methods must be repeated if infestation is very large. Care must be taken not to produce new plants. All plant material should be removed, dried and burned if possible. New plants can sprout from very small fragments.”
I’ve fought Japanese Knotweed for years. The first time I was shooting a video for the National Passenger Railroad Corporation, Amtrak in California along the Los Angeles River. It was so hot, I thought I was in hell until my wife called. She was in Japanese Knotweed hell. Knotweed roots had infiltrated our sewer pipes. In locating our pipes dirt was piled higher than our deck. When I arrived home, I found one of our toilets sitting in the dirt. What a welcome. I made my own divining rod and located the pipe and the plumber replaced the pipes where the roots had made a forced entry.
Since the repair, I sprayed and sprayed the Knotweed, but eventually its roots found their way into our pipes, again. This time, however I called Steve Pielak. – pielakplumbing.com/
Pielak Plumbing offers complete residential and commercial sewer services throughout the Tacoma, Puyallup, Gig Harbor, Puget Sound area. He ran a TV camera down the pipes and found numerous cracks where roots were seen penetrating the old pipes. Our sewer line runs from our house, under our carport and driveway, part of our back yard, and down into the alley (well over a hundred feet). We really only had two choices: dig up and replace our sewer line or pipe bursting. Pipe bursting means pulling a bullet-like metal head through the existing pipes and breaking the old pipes as it goes. Trailing the bullet is a new polymer pipe which is then connected to the home sewer pipes and to the main line.
We chose the pipe bursting method and have had no problems what so ever with the new system. The only physical evidence is a five by five foot patch of new asphalt under our carport. You can watch the video to see Pielak Plumbing in action. – youtu.be/x-vJ3UpMuAA
It could have been worse, I guess. Luckily, we don’t have a basement to flood. But Steve Pieklak handles those emergencies as well. We still have the Japanese Knotweed, but the good news there is that we like honey from its blossoms. Who knew? Small consolation, however because Knotweed is growing along the Puyallup River, most of our local creeks and streams, and along the East and West Valley Highways heading north. Watch out for Japanese Knotweed and keep Steve Pielak’s phone number nearby just in case: 253-227-0084.
