A Green Sewer Cleaning Option

Vacall’s Recycler option allows municipalities to continuously reuse water for jet/vac cleaning.
A Green Sewer Cleaning Option
Bill Petrole, vice president of the Vacall product group, discusses the Recycler option for AllJetVac machines with 2016 WWETT Show attendees in the company’s booth. The system works by continuously vacuuming water out of the sewer line, moving it through a five-step filter process, and then using the same water for the AllJetVac’s jetting. (Photo by Craig Mandli)

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In the drought-ravaged western U.S., municipalities are continuously looking for ways to save not only time, but also valuable clean water. That’s why the new Vacall Recycler option for AllJetVac machines, introduced at the 2016 Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport Show, makes sense not only for western cities, but any looking to increase efficiencies.

“The Recycler typically requires no city water during its combination jet/vac sewer cleaning work,” says Bill Petrole, vice president of the Vacall product group. For the average municipal jet/vac sewer cleaning truck, that can mean a savings of 5.7 million gallons of water per year, according to Petrole.

“Using the system means crews are able to dramatically increase their productivity,” says Petrole. “They start the day without having to fill the water tank and they continue to work all day long, never having to go to a hydrant to fill the tank.”

Located at the front of the AllJetVac debris body, where it’s protected from damaging road debris, the system works by continuously vacuuming water out of the sewer line, moving it through the Recycler five-step filter process, and then using the same water for the AllJetVac’s jetting. In addition to increasing productivity and saving water, the Recycler can also help municipalities save fuel because there’s no need for refill trips, and the truck’s lighter weight with empty water tanks translates into more miles per gallon. The system offers up to 105 gpm of reclaimed water.

“It’s a relatively new concept here, but has been used in Germany for around 20 years,” says Petrole. “It is a few more parts than your typical jet/vac system, but the maintenance is minimal, and the efficiencies pay for themselves in short order.”

The five-stage continual recycling process starts with an initial sediment separation, followed by a floating V-Filtration screening process further separating water from debris. The V-Filtration also has a backflush self-cleaning capability. Centri-fugal high-speed action then removes remaining solids, including tiny particles down to 100 microns. Solids and fine particles are then returned to the debris tank via a pressure-regulating valve system. Finally, the recouped water (up to 65 percent from all vacuumed material) is returned to the water tanks to continue jetting. A segregated 240-gallon-capacity clean-water washdown feature is also a part of the system.

“There’s really no downtime for maintenance because the system is self-cleaning and doesn’t require backflushing or filter changes,” says Petrole. “That combined savings in time, money and water escalates quickly.”

The Recycler system was the highlight of Vacall’s 2016 WWETT Show space, and Petrole says many customers and potential customers visited especially to learn more about the science behind the system.

“We had a ton of interest from folks looking to see us demonstrate the product,” says Petrole. “We got a lot of solid leads out of the show, which gives us a strong base to market this system for the year. We’re excited to move forward with it.”

As for the 2017 WWETT Show, Petrole says Vacall engineers will continue to examine ways to add efficiencies and potential cost savings to existing technology. “There are always ways we try to expand our product line for the future,” he says. “If we can make our products a better fit for a customer, we’ll do it.” 800/382-8302; www.vacall.com.



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