Soil contamination (sometimes called soil pollution) is caused by the alternation of the soil’s natural environment or composition.
In most instances, the root of soil contamination can be found in improper waste disposal or dumping of chemicals like:
- Solvents
- Pesticides
- Lead
- Heavy metals (like cadmium, mercury or arsenic)
In order for the soil to be made safe for human use, the contamination must be removed.
Hydro excavation truck rentals can play a big part in helping to clean, dispose of and reclaim contaminated soil.
Why excavate contaminated soil?
Hydovac excavation applications are used in instances where on site cleanup methods:
- Won’t work quickly enough
- Won’t be effective or impactful
- Are too expensive or cost-prohibitive
Offsite disposal and off site are often the fastest and most efficient ways to remove and clean and reclaim (if possible) contaminated soil.
Hydro excavation is a big part of minimizing immediate risk to people and environment when it comes to disposing of contaminated soil.
Of course, excavation sites are fenced off to prohibit entry into the service area until its backfilled and covered with clean soil.
How it works
Once the contaminated areas are identified, excavation can begin.
This is where hydro excavation comes in.
A suction excavator features two important tools which can help to safely and quickly remove the contaminated soil without having to actually dig through it:
- Pressurized water is injected into the water using a wand that’s inserted into the ground
- Powerful vacuum suction sucks up the resulting liquefied slurry and stores it into a debris tank
The best part is that the dirty soil is safely removed without having making any of the contaminants airborne by digging or drilling through it.
How long does it take?
Excavating and disposing of contaminated soil can take as little as one day – or as long as several years – depending on factors like:
- The contaminated area is large, deep or found below the water table
- Contaminant amounts are very high, requiring extra hydrovac safety precautions
- The soil features a high concentration of large rocks or other heavy debris
- Existing buildings limit the movement of equipment
- Site remoteness
- Remoteness of the soil treatment and/or disposal facilities
Smart and safe excavation
More and more municipalities – and industries – are mandating the use of hydro excavation over conventional digging when it comes to removing contaminated soil.
Our fleet of hydro excavation trucks uses the latest technology – combined with a highly trained staff – to ensure that any contaminated soil projects are completed safely, on time and on budget.
Contact us today to book your hydrovac excavation truck or to request a FREE quote from Fencor.
