New sewer truck is key tool for the city

Paul Bertagna and Gary Frazee demonstrate the City of Sisters'

new sewer truck. photo by Elise Gourguechon

With 25 miles and about $18 million worth of sewer line to take care of in the City of Sisters, the Public Works Department has purchased a jet-vac truck to suck debris out of sewer lines.

The 1989 Vactor truck is the same make as those used by the cities of Bend and Redmond. However, while Bend has purchased a new Vactor truck for about $240,000, Sisters bought used at $67,000.

The truck provides the ability to blast away blockages with a concentrated stream of water and to suck debris out of sewer lines with suction powerful enough to gulp down four-inch-diameter rocks.

The truck's 800-foot hose propels itself from a manhole down a line with jets, then is backed up the line, vacuuming as it goes.

The City of Sisters plans a three-year cycle of maintenance on its sewer system.

"It's the key tool," said wastewater operator Paul Bertagna.

The truck can also be used in emergencies.

"When we have a blockage in town, it's the ticket for getting everything flowing again," Bertagna said.

The truck has other valuable uses.

The vacuum hose can be used to clean out 20-foot-deep catch basins, which get clogged with debris and create flooding on Sisters streets -- a perennial problem any time it rains heavily.

The powerful 3,000 PSI jet hose can be used to hydro-excavate around utilities, avoiding the need for extensive trenching.

If a water main leaks, a city crew can blast away dirt and asphalt and rock to get to the main, then use the hose to suck away water and mud.

The truck came from Aberdeen, Washington, where Sisters also found one of the city's street sweepers.

"They take good care of their equipment," Bertagna said.

The Vactor truck has been rebuilt and completely gone over.

"It'll do what we need it to do for a long time," said Public Works Director Gary Frazee.