Hydro Excavation, also commonly referred to as hydro vac, is a non-destructive digging method that uses pressurized water and a high-powered vacuum to safely expose underground utilities, pipelines, and other infrastructure. This technique minimizes damage to surrounding areas and improves job site safety.

Hydro excavation offers greater accuracy than traditional excavation, reducing the risk of damaging underground utilities, which minimizes environmental impact and keeps jobsites safer. Hydro excavation can also be used in hard-to-reach, isolated jobsites requiring digging or the removal of material.

Hydro excavation is commonly used in urban environments, where a utility strike can be disastrous. In disaster and storm recovery, hydro excavation is a best practice to ensure communities working to rebuild do not experience further damages. Remote areas often require hydro excavation where a traditional excavator or digging equipment could not safely reach. Other common uses for hydro excavation include utility potholing, trenching, daylighting, debris removal, pipeline installation, and excavation in sensitive areas where traditional digging could cause damage.

A CCTV line inspection, often in utilities such as sewer lines and storm drains, involves using high-resolution cameras to inspect underground pipelines and drains. This process helps detect blockages, leaks, pipe damage, and root intrusions before they become costly repairs.

Regular inspections depend on factors like the age of the infrastructure and environmental conditions. Utility infrastructure is commonly inspected annually for preventative maintenance or immediately after experiencing an issue.

Cross bores are dangerous utility damages that occur when an existing underground utility (such as a gas, water, sewer, or telecommunication line) is unintentionally drilled through when installing a new utility line. This is a possibility if utility locates are not accurate or properly identified when trenchless installation is used (methods like horizontal directional drilling (HDD)). Gas line cross bores are particularly dangerous and can lead to gas leaks, explosions, or fires, with other types of utility cross bores leading to serious consequences including blockages, contamination, service interruption, and costly repairs. CCTV Utility Line Inspections before and after utility installation help to identify any potential cross bores.

Infrastructure utility maintenance is critical. Our Combo Jetter/Vacuum Trucks are versatile machines designed to tackle sewer and stormwater system maintenance tasks with ease.

The “combo” feature refers to their dual functionality: high-pressure water jetting to clear blockages and debris, paired with powerful vacuum capabilities to safely remove materials. This makes them an essential tool for precise, non-destructive excavation and system upkeep.