Our Water Distribution team didn’t waste any time putting a NEW piece of heavy equipment into service! This vacuum truck was delivered TODAY at 8 a.m. and was on a job site by 8:30 a.m. It doesn’t even have the City logo yet!
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding made the purchase of this vac truck possible, along with other equipment that will support our team as we continue to replace lead and galvanized water service lines. Today several team members were trained on how to use the truck.
A vac truck allows us to quickly suction out a hole to locate underground utility lines – such as gas and water. Previously, we had to borrow a vac truck from another department which limited the times we could utilize this service to two to three times a week. Now, we can use this every day for our Lead Abatement Program, watermain breaks, and any other task we may need it for. It is the first time Water Distribution has had a vac truck.
Using the vac truck to safely locate underground utilities is just one part of the process. Once utilities are located, we use a backhoe or other equipment to dig into the ground – allowing us to use a KOBUS Pipe Puller to switch out the lead or galvanized line with a copper line.
P.S. Check out all the pictures to see the wrench we found in this hole today!
Original source can be found here.
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