Drought conditions in the western United States have put a premium on water. Not only are citizens being asked to cut back on usage, municipalities and contractors are as well. That’s why the idea of using recycled water in sewer cleaning operations is gaining traction in the industry.

NozzTeq certainly responded to this growing trend with the MANTA 350-RC Sewer Nozzle. The innovative new nozzle, designed for use with recycled water, was the highlight of NozzTeq’s display at the 2016 Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport Show.

“Jet/vac units that use recycled water have been in Europe for awhile, and you’re starting to see them get a foothold in the States,” says NozzTeq President Scott Paquet. “The nozzles used for those trucks need to have some different design parameters to work effectively and stand up to abuse.”

NozzTeq developed the MANTA system in cooperation with a longtime customer as a complement to the C-RAY bottom-cleaning nozzle. The customer had purchased and began using a jet/vac truck that recycles water, but was having difficulty using his C-RAY nozzle with it.

“The tube system in his bottom cleaner wasn’t designed to handle the abrasiveness of recycled water,” Paquet says. “We knew we needed to go back to the drawing board and come up with something that would work effectively with that water.”

To answer the challenge, NozzTeq built the MANTA with a heavy-duty inner design to handle the abrasiveness from recycling trucks. The upgraded internal flow design minimizes pressures and flow losses, while providing high pulling and cleaning power. It is made for cleaning large (up to 72-inch) pipe and smaller pipes down to 12 inches with debris at the bottom of the pipe. The number of jets in use on the unit can be altered from eight, 10 or 12 through a flexible exchange system on the rear end, allowing the user to match the nozzle to pipe size and pump capacity. It can handle anywhere from 80 to 532 gpm of water pressure. A system of interchangeable wear runners also enables quick switch-out for different size lines.

“That ability to switch the number of jets is huge,” Paquet says. “It saves the operator time in the field switching out nozzles, and they don’t need to have a bunch of floor-cleaning nozzles on the truck, saving money in the long run.”

NozzTeq launched the MANTA 350-RC in late 2015, and according to Paquet, the feedback from the field has been positive. Not only has the unit performed its cleaning chores effectively, it gives users, especially private contractors that contract with municipalities to perform sewer cleaning, an extra marketing push.

“Companies that are using the MANTA with a recycled water jet/vac can really push how green the idea is, and how they are helping the environment,” Paquet says. “It’s really a direct response to meet that greener focus in the industry. Fortunately, we were able to do a twist on our existing technology to handle more adverse water conditions.”

NozzTeq is a longtime exhibitor at the WWETT Show, and Paquet says it’s an event that they actually frame their year around. He says being able to interact with customers and potential customers face to face is an invaluable opportunity.

“This show is always a success for us, and this year was no exception,” he says. “The WWETT Show is where the people in this industry make their decisions and buy.” 866/620-5915; www.nozzteq.com.