The Village of Keremeos solved a number of low tech waterworks problems using a high tech solution on April 24.
Village maintenance staff used the services of Suck it Up Environmental Services Ltd. to disconnect a water service line and repair two others in the village.
“This is a service we don’t normally use,” explained village Public Works Foreman Jordy Bosscha, “but in these cases, because of the proximity to buildings and potential disruption of other infrastructure, using Suck it Up made sense.”
Suck it Up uses a combination of water pressure and vaccuum technology to excavate holes. In the case of the village’s work, Suck it Up excavated a hole roughly two and a half metres deep and a metre across, within a metre of the Review office, in about an hour, allowing village maintenance staff to access a water line that needed to be disconnected.
Another smaller diameter hole accessed a malfunctioning valve beside Berg’s Ox Yoke Collectibles, and a third hole excavated a valve box near the pool.
Suck it Up’s truck costs the village approximately $250 per hour plus travel costs from Summerland. Last Thursday was the second time this year the village has used their services.