Raleigh environmental coordinator Ed Buchan confirmed that the creature is a tubifex worm colony that attach themselves to roots. The worms then work themselves into weak points in pipes.

“The worms naturally occur in sewage and pond sediment and are actually sold both live and dried as fish food in pet stores. He said other staff members in the department have seen it before, although sightings aren’t particularly common. ‘I’ve seen a lot of sewer TV before and I’ve never seen them,’ he said. ‘We were surprised. We didn’t know immediately what it was.’”

How this video was able to get millions of views is even more of a mystery than the worms themselves.

[via Mashable]