How can you add versatility to your sewer maintenance crew? For the Town of Wellesley Department of Public Works (DPW), versatility is synonymous with Vactor. The Massachusetts town’s DPW relies on its two Vactor vehicles, a Ramjet 850 sewer jetter and a 2100i combination sewer cleaner with an RDB 1015 Rapid Deployment Boom, to complete its sewer jobs.
“The Ramjet and combo sewer cleaner are great assets to our fleet,” noted Dana Leavitt, fleet mechanic. “They each have unique capabilities that allow us to take on a wide range of projects. From simple sewer maintenance jobs to challenging access locations, the two vehicles make our jobs easier.”
The Ramjet sewer jetter is primarily used for sanitary sewer line cleaning, jet flushing and rodding, storm line cleaning, and lateral line cleaning. The Vactor 2100i combination sewer cleaner allows crews to provide sanitary sewer line cleaning, jet flushing, jet rodding, lift station cleaning, storm line cleaning and hydro-excavation. Due to the design of the vehicles, crews can service any location with minimal setup time required.
“The Vactors are all-in-one solutions for us,” said Leavitt. “That’s important because we’re able to tackle multiple projects with the same vehicle. Our goal is efficiency, and our Vactor units make that possible.”
Vactor capabilities
Both Vactor vehicles feature customizable components for optimized use, such as a front- or rear-mounted hose reel on the Ramjet.
“Our Ramjet has a jetting hose located on the rear of the vehicle that offers 600 feet of reach,” explained Leavitt. “The hose is contained in an aluminum shroud with heavy-duty, see-through windows. The structure can rotate 180 degrees, which offers us the flexibility to access a sewer from either side of the vehicle and work safely.”
The Vactor 2100i combination sewer cleaner features the RDB 1015 Rapid Deployment Boom, which telescopes 10 feet out and extends the debris down 15 feet. It is also capable of rotating 180 degrees above the vehicle.
“We added the Vactor 2100i to our fleet because the Rapid Deployment Boom dramatically cuts down on the setup time at a job site,” stated Brian Zabchuk, fleet supervisor. “It’s a new feature Vactor recently introduced and has been very useful for our crews. You’re able to retract and deploy the boom out into your job site instead of connecting tubes together, which saves us a lot of time and labor.
“Controlling the boom can be done in several different ways,” Zabchuk added. “There is a control panel and touch screen on the front of the machine, as well as a wireless controller that can be strapped on to the operator. The wireless controller allows our operator to control the boom from anywhere around the machine without being tied to one location.”
Included on both machines is the Vactor Jet Rodder Water Pump. Located below the water tank and connected to the hose reel, the pump was specifically designed for sewer cleaning and provides a smooth and continuous flow through its entire operating range. When necessary, a jackhammer action can be activated to break up challenging blockages.
Great support from C.N. Wood
When looking for the right machines for its sewer projects, the Town of Wellesley DPW works closely with C.N. Wood and sales representative Steve Russell.
“Steve has been great to work with because he’s quick to answer the phone and respond to any questions we have for him,” noted Bill Stevens, fleet maintenance mechanic. “We also work closely with C.N. Wood’s service department to maintain the vehicles. Outside of their parts support, they provide training and classes to make sure we’re using the machines to their full capabilities.”