As the doors to the 2022 Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport (WWETT) Show in Indianapolis opened on Tuesday, contractors were excited about seeing the latest equipment in the industry — and seeing old friends. 

“It’s been two years since we’ve been here and it will just be nice catching up with friends that we haven’t seen in a while,” says Paul Stronge, of Atlanta, Georgia.

He and his wife, Sue, were at the show scoping out vacuum trucks for their small septic pumping company. They had found a few that they liked but were told that they would have to wait on getting the truck due to the supply backlog facing many in the industry.

“One company told us we’d be waiting six months, another eight months, it’s crazy,” Stronge says. “It’s just the way things are right now. If we find something we really like, I don’t mind waiting for it.” 

New Products Unveiled

Many manufacturers didn’t sit still the past two years. There were many new products unveiled at the WWETT Show’s opening day. 

One of the biggest product reveals was Vac-Con’s PRO (Precision Reel Operation) Reel. 

The patent-pending PRO Reel offers 16 feet of motion across the front of the machine and 180-degree articulation for 69.6 square feet of working coverage. This flexibility, which is 115% more than the standard Vac-Con articulating hose reel, gives operators access to manhole and lift station locations without having to park the unit precisely over the job site. The front-mounted camera system and an ARC visual screen provides 180 degrees of visibility to the driver in the cab.

On the plumbing side, Milwaukee Tool announced the expansion of its sewer and drain maintenance solutions with the introduction of the M18 Drum Machine for 3/8– to 1/2-inch cables. The company was also showcasing its new M12 Stick Transfer Pump.  

The stick transfer pump features a 36-inch submersible aluminum barrel that has the reach and inlet control needed to get to water in difficult-to-access areas such as trenches, storm drains, and water meter boxes. The HydroPass filter technology maximizes water flow in heavy debris to pump up to 9 gpm.

For the municipal and sewer repair contractors, Oatey highlighted its newest product — Hercules Shutout — with a demo of what the product can do. 

Hercules Shutout seals and lubricates manhole covers to reduce inflow. It is designed to enhance existing seals by filling voids and defects within the manhole cover and seat. Hercules Shutout creates a water barrier between surfaces, reducing the likelihood of corrosion and lubricating the manhole cover to allow for easier and safer removal.

Truvac had a new product reveal on the vacuum excavation side with its Truvac TRXX trailer-mounted unit. The Truvac TRXX is a compact trailer with the power and features required at a variety of job sites. It features a 600-1,000 cfm blower, 49-64 hp diesel Kubota engine, and debris capacity of either 500 or 800 gallons, depending on model.