Compared to traditional methods of excavation that usually involve heavy machinery like backhoes and dump trucks, water excavation, also known as hydro excavation, requires far less machinery and manpower. Along with these, there are four other major advantages of choosing hydro excavation over traditional excavation.

These advantages are part of the reason why water excavation has become the method of choice on construction sites everywhere, and why you should consider the process for your next project.

1. Non-Destructive

Rather than digging through the ground with bulky machinery that can be hard to control, water excavation uses precise, pressurised water to blast and loosen soil. This soil is turned to sludge which can be easily vacuumed away with a vacuum hose and truck. This process is far less destructive than traditional excavation causing little disturbance to the area around the excavation zone, and therefore lowered risk of costly, accidental damages.

2. Cost Efficiency

With less equipment, less necessary manpowers, and lowered risk of accidental strikes and damages, water excavation is much more cost effective than traditional excavation. No need to spend extra money on extra machinery and a team to operate it, hydro excavation usually requires just one hydro vac truck and a small team of hydrovac technicians.

Water excavation is also generally a faster process compared to regular excavation, which allows you to stay on schedule and avoid costly delays.

3. Soil Variability

Because hydro excavation uses pressurized water to loosen and extract soil, it can be used on a variety of soils and ground conditions. Unlike traditional excavation, water excavation can be used very successfully on frozen ground, as well as on harder soils such as clay. This variability makes hydro excavation the better choice for almost all projects and explains why its becoming the most popular excavation method.

4. Applications

Along with the variability in terms of soil and ground conditions, water excavation also has a diverse range of applications. Particularly, it is most useful in utility locating because of its non-destructive properties. Using water instead of machinery to locate and uncover underground utility lines ensures that there won’t be any damage done to the line, and therefore makes accidental strikes virtually impossible. The cost-efficiency is also ideal for sites with a tight budget and that need to spend more money elsewhere on other parts of the project.