Ozark, Mo. - The City of Ozark is taking a significant leap forward in its infrastructure maintenance capabilities with the recent acquisition of a new state-of-the-art hydro excavator truck, promising to benefit both the city’s workforce and residents.
The RAMVAC HX-9 uses high-pressure water to dig into the ground, while a powerful vacuum immediately removes the debris. This allows the City of Ozark’s Public Works crew to access water main breaks, leaks, and other underground issues more efficiently and effectively while ensuring that other buried utility lines are not damaged.
Major upgrades in the new truck’s design are its 8-inch vacuum tube, an improvement from the previous 6-inch tube, which allows for faster and more efficient debris removal and limits the number of clogs, and a 9-cubic-yard tank that can drain debris while simultaneously vacuuming up new debris, substantially increasing capacity compared to the older model. This means the truck can hold more material, eliminating the frequent trips to empty the tank and allowing for longer stretches of uninterrupted work, reducing the time spent on each job. Additionally, the water is self-contained in the truck and can be heated, making it available for use any day of the year, no matter the temperature outside.
For 75 percent of calls, job completion times have been reduced to under an hour, allowing crews to get more done daily. The other 25 percent of calls are generally linked to more extensive repairs, and although they take longer than an hour, times for those jobs are also dropping.
A significant benefit of the new truck is that it reduces the personnel required on-site. With no need for additional machinery like backhoes or dump trucks, fewer workers are needed to complete the job, freeing them up to address other tasks and projects. Crews can manage multiple projects simultaneously, making everything run more smoothly and effectively.
The HX-9 promises to improve response times and job site productivity. It also represents a commitment to leveraging modern technology to serve the community better. Residents can look forward to quicker repairs and maintenance, a more streamlined workflow, and overall enhanced service quality.
To hear more about the truck and its capabilities and from the city's Infrastructure Operations Manager, Mark Gann, visit the following link: https://youtu.be/cHY4lvm2L_8.