A vacuum truck is a piece of heavy machinery that has been designed and built for the sole purpose of cleaning and moving waste materials such as oil, gas, water or other liquids. It is a very efficient means of recycling liquids that can otherwise cause harm to the environment. They are usually used in construction sites, factories, hospitals, and other places where there is an abundance of waste materials. The truck that holds the vacuum truck is known as the 'hydro' vacuum truck, and it uses an engine similar to that of a vehicle's engine to suck up the waste and push it into the vacuum truck's holding chamber. The truck itself is called a 'venting chamber' and it contains the vacuum pump, the vacuum collector, the vacuum system, an evaporator, a heat exchanger and an exhaust manifold.
Vacuum truck services include all sorts of responsibilities. For example, they can perform various jobs including the removal and disposal of solid wastes, oils and other fluids. They can also clear the debris around power lines and transform them into more manageable materials. Some vacuum truck services can even clean sewage sewers and drainpipes.
Other vacuum truck services include the cleanup of spills. These spills can range from simple substances like oil or gas to chemicals and toxic wastes. The cleanup involves first cleaning the oil or gas from the surface of the ground and then draining it, keeping in mind the potential dangers involved. This is a complicated process and requires expertise.
The handling of hazardous waste is another responsibility that vacuum truck services have. Hazardous waste, as defined by the Clean Water Act, is any waste created by human action that contains a risk of causing harm to people or the environment. Some types of wastes are hazardous only when they contain pollutants that are classified as "probable" human carcinogens (Hazardous Air Pollutants). This includes radioactive material and discarded pharmaceutical drugs.
Most vacuum trucks are equipped with vacuum bags meant for cleaning up waste from underground tanks. This waste is usually acidic and poses a severe hazard to people and the environment. To protect the public and prevent catastrophic damage to property, most vacuum trucks come with safety equipment designed to handle spills. Safety vests, shields and other protective gear to protect workers from hazardous waste, while also ensuring that no liquid or gaseous wastes are exposed to the general public.
Another responsibility vacuum truck services have is maintaining an on-site environmental clean-up site. This can include such projects as inspecting oil tankers for leaks, determining if underground storage tanks are in compliance with federal and state regulations, and cleaning up abandoned mining sites. Such sites may contain contaminated soil, polluted water, and radioactive waste. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates all on-site environmental clean-up activities, including compliance and reporting requirements for the majority of these sites. These agencies work in tandem with state and federal agencies to manage and ensure clean-up compliance.