Hydro excavating has streamlined the repair process. Using a high-pressure water gun, workers wash through gravel, sand and heavy clay, all the while causing no harm to the utility lines. While the high-pressure water cuts through the rock and dirt, it also clears much of the mineral build up often found on pipes that have been leaking for many years. Another advantage of hydro excavating is the ability to wash sediment out from under the pipe. This gives workers a convenient 360-degree area to work around the pipe. While one worker uses the high pressure handgun, another worker operates a large vacuum tube that continually removes the water and debris and deposits the sludge into a large tank. This process is not only easier and safer for utility companies; it is also much faster than the traditional digging methods.
While the high pressure water handgun breaks away material, the telescoping boom vacuums away the sludge and deposits the material in the vacuum tanker, so workers are able to monitor the leakage area while minimizing water and sludge build up. Normally, workers would constantly be hand-bilging water that accumulates from the leak.