When identifying the most important pieces of workhorse equipment in his company’s fleet, Allan Cagle doesn’t hesitate — two AllJetVac combination sewer trucks from Vacall (a brand owned by Gradall Industries), equipped with the AllClean water recycling system.

The trucks offer four powerful selling points for prospective clients, says Cagle, president of Atlantic Pipe Services, based in Sanford, Florida:

• They’re eco-friendly because they use significantly less water than conventional vacuum trucks.

• They can work virtually non-stop during the day, which dramatically boosts productivity by eliminating time-consuming trips to refill water tanks.

• Less water used results in lower costs in communities where contractors have to pay for city water.

• Less water is sent back into sewer lines, which reduces treatment costs for municipalities.

“You can literally recycle water all day long and just keep on cleaning lines,” says Cagle, who estimates the trucks have increased productivity by an average of 15 to 20 percent.

While the amount of water saved varies from job to job, Vacall officials estimate that an AllJetVac equipped with the recycling package can save municipalities an average of 5.7 million gallons of water per year. That estimate is based on flow of 80 gpm for six hours a day, 40 weeks a year.

The trucks feature 2018 Freightliner 114SD chassis outfitted with 12-cubic-yard debris tanks, 1,500-gallon water tanks and Howden Roots blowers. Here’s how they work: Water and debris vacuumed from sewer lines goes into the debris tank, where solids settle. Then a floating, rotating suction screen equipped with a self-cleaning wiper blade further separates water from the debris. Next, a high-speed centrifugal spinner system further separates tiny particles as small as 100 microns. Separated particles get returned to the debris tank and the recycled water travels to a 240-gallon tank for re-use.

“Depending on the bells and whistles, the trucks cost about $500,000,” Cagle says. “But on a day-to-day basis, we probably save clients two to three hours a day by not having to break down and constantly decant. That results in more productivity. Furthermore, we don’t charge any more for these trucks than we do for our conventional vac truck. So it’s more profitable because we’re getting more work done (in less time) every day. Plus we’re saving water and helping out the Earth.”

Cagle opted to go with Vacall because he says the trucks have fewer switches than other water-recycling trucks.

“I like to keep it simple, not deal with a lot of switches and electrical stuff,” he says. “The more switches and moving parts you have, the more potential there is for damage and repairs, plus a greater need for maintenance.”

The service provided by Vacall and its distributor, Great Southern Equipment Co., also influenced Cagle’s decision.

“With this kind of equipment, something will always happen,” he says. “So at the end of the day, it’s all about who has the best service and support. I want someone who has my back and can get things fixed in a timely manner, because time is money. And so far, Great Southern has been great. They even send out mobile mechanics that can work on job sites.”

Keep an eye out for a full profile about Atlantic Pipe Services in a future issue of Cleaner magazine.