Yorkville to spend $655,000 on 66,000 pound utility truck to prevent sewer blocks

A behemoth, 66,000 pound, $655,000 utility truck will soon be cruising the streets and sewers of Yorkville.

The public works department is purchasing the “Vactor 2100i Fan Sewer Cleaner” truck to ensure the city’s water mains are working properly, free of the clogs that can wreak havoc and cause flooding.

As part of the more than $100 million Lake Michigan water sourcing project, the city is mandated to reduce water loss from things like leaking pipes and water main breaks.

The truck works as a massive vacuum sucking up debris and all types of nasty obstructions. The public works department uses the machine along miles of sanitary sewer pipelines each year.

The new truck is replacing the department’s decade-old outdated sewer vac truck.

“It has become an invaluable asset, this truck is vital to all our public works departments and is one of our most useful tools,” Eric Dhuse, public works director, said in city documents. “This truck saves us time, energy and money all while making the job safer as well.”

Purchase of the truck was approved by city council during the July 22 meeting. To save money, the city is trading in their previous truck for $95,000 in credit.

The new machine is manufactured by Standard Equipment, from LaSalle and Peru in Illinois. It’s expected to last the department for the next decade before needing to be replaced again.

The truck can do a little bit of everything.

In addition to ensuring the city’s water mains and sewers do not back-up, the truck also cleans lift station wells and manholes throughout the city. It also cleans catch basins and inlets that prevent flooding during storms.

The truck can even be used for excavations around light poles and utilities.

The giant vacuuming feature of the truck is created by a hose fixated on the front that inhales 600 to 1,000 feet of pipeline materials at once.