The maintenance and repair of a complex, nationwide storm sewer system can put efficient equipment in the foreground. Thurston County, Washington is achieving its environmental goals – and on budget – using two combined sewer cleaning and vacuum excavator trucks that offer productivity and versatility. The combined sewer cleaner Vactor 2100 Plus, which is equipped with a quick boom and an internal water recycling system, offers improved speed, efficiency and performance at work.
Thurston County is at the southern end of Puget Sound and has a population of more than 250,000. With an average annual rainfall of more than 50 inches, rainwater management is an important public service and an environmental imperative of municipal rainwater permits. To cope with the enormous volume of rainwater runoff, the district created a rainwater system that consists of fewer than 10,000 pipes and culverts and more than 6,000 catch basins.
Donna Eaton, who has headed the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) in Thurston County for the past three years, leads a team of 14 county employees. She is responsible for planning the cleaning, grouting and repair of catch basins, drying wells, pipes and culverts. In addition to managing the deployment and use of the county’s combined sewer cleaning vehicles, Eaton also manages the operation of three street sweepers – including two Elgin Sweeper Crosswind regenerative air sweepers – that are an important part of the county’s rainwater management capabilities.
“Our team consists of four experienced maintenance technicians who operate our two Vactor trucks – including an older Vactor 2100 Plus model – with two people per unit,” said Eaton. “The guys say they really like the ease of use of the RBD 1015 boom because of the extra reach and ease of use. With the RDB 1015 boom, we can assemble and dismantle much faster because we don’t have to get pipes, attach, remove and put them back on the truck. And the boom gives us much better reach and more positive vacuum suction, which cuts the time it takes to clean the pools and pipes. “
The quick jib boom telescopes 10 feet and extends the dirt hose an additional 15 feet for faster cleaning of the catch basins, manholes and lifting stations. The boom can also maintain a lower profile, which allows the combination duct cleaner to remove overhead obstructions and still reach the required depths. The RDB 1015 boom can be stowed away with the catch basin tube attached to the truck, making it even easier to get to work right away.
The water recycling system of the Vactor 2100 Plus uses water already in the sewer to clean the sewer pipes. This can eliminate the need for clean water and save thousands of gallons of clean water on every shift.
“We like the water recycler because it gives our crew more options in what they can do in a day,” said Eaton. “Our decanting center is in the northeastern part of the county, and our water sources can be kilometers away at times. With the Vactor water recycler, we were able to increase our production, as there is no travel time to decant or refill water. This is a huge cost saving for the county and a better solution for our environment. “
Eaton says the county’s 2100 Plus unit includes a hydro excavation kit to address the common need to repair or replace pipes and sumps in tight spaces.
“The Vactor Hydro excavation attachment removes more material faster, more accurately and in a more controlled manner,” said Eaton.
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