Hydro Vac
Non-destructive excavation around live utilities, in tight access, and on frozen ground.
- Debris capacity
- Up to 13 m³
- Water capacity
- Up to 4,500 L onboard
- Boom reach
- 25 ft hydraulic
- Operating temp
- −40 °C rated
Built for the Peace Region.
Pressurized water cuts the soil while a high-CFM blower lifts the slurry into the debris tank - clean, precise excavation with zero risk to buried utilities. Our hydro vac trucks work year-round in northern conditions with onboard boiler systems for frozen ground.
Hydro vac excavation - also called hydrovac, hydro excavation or non-destructive digging - uses pressurized water to break up soil while a powerful vacuum lifts the resulting slurry into a debris tank. Because there's no blade, bucket or auger, the technique is the safest way to expose buried utilities such as gas mains, fibre, fluid lines and power conduit.
Capabilities
- Daylighting & potholing around live gas, power, fibre and water lines
- Frozen-ground excavation with onboard hot water / boiler systems
- Slot trenching, piling holes and culvert exposure
- Confined-space and tight-access digs where excavators can't reach
- Debris offload to approved disposal facilities
Equipment
- Tandem & tridem hydro vac trucks (up to 13 m³ debris)
- Onboard diesel-fired hot-water boilers for frost work
- 25 ft hydraulic booms with 8" debris hose
- 1,500–4,500 L water tanks with high-pressure pumps
- Extension wands and tiger tubes for offset digs
Our process
- 01
Locate & assess
Pre-job hazard assessment, ground disturbance review and confirmation of all utility locates before any water hits the ground.
- 02
Set up & stabilize
Truck spotted, outriggers down, hose run and exclusion zone marked. Hot water boiler brought to temperature in winter conditions.
- 03
Excavate
Pressurized water cuts soil while the blower lifts spoil straight into the debris tank - no shovel, no risk to live infrastructure.
- 04
Backfill & dispose
Hole reinstated to spec; debris hauled to an approved disposal facility with a manifested ticket back to the customer.
Who we serve
Service area
Common questions
- Can you dig safely around live gas and power?
- Yes - that's the core use case. Hydro vac is non-mechanical, so there's no blade or tooth that can strike a buried line. We confirm locates before starting and daylight every conflict by hand pressure.
- Do you work in winter?
- All winter. Our trucks carry diesel-fired boilers that put out hot water at pressure, so we keep cutting through frost and frozen ground when conventional excavation stops.
- How deep can you go?
- Standard daylighting reaches 20+ ft. Deeper holes are possible with extension tooling - let dispatch know the target depth when you book.