What is Vactor hydro-excavation?
Vactor hydro-excavation is a non-destructive digging method that combines pressurized water and a powerful vacuum to expose buried utilities without striking them. The water cuts and loosens the soil; the vacuum lifts the resulting slurry into an onboard debris tank. Because no mechanical blade ever touches the ground, gas lines, fiber, water mains, and sewer laterals stay intact while crews work right up against them.
For projects in Vero Beach and across Florida, this is the safest way to dig in the "tolerance zone" around marked utilities. American Water, Sewer & Drain runs a dedicated Vactor fleet for exactly this work, backed by our Florida Certified Underground Utility Contractor license (CUC 1225741).
Why hydro-excavation beats a backhoe near buried lines
Mechanical excavation is fast in open ground, but near utilities a single bucket tooth can rupture a gas line, sever fiber that takes weeks to repair, or crack a pressurized water main. Hydro-excavation removes that risk because the operator sees and controls exactly what is exposed.
- No strikes: water and vacuum cannot shear a pipe or cable the way steel can.
- Precision: crews can open a 12-inch pothole to verify a line, not a wide trench.
- Less restoration: smaller, cleaner excavations mean less asphalt and sod to replace.
- All-weather: works in tight easements, near foundations, and around tree roots.
- Spoil contained: slurry goes straight into the tank, not across the site.
Where we use the Vactor fleet
Daylighting and potholing
Before directional drilling or trenching, we pothole to confirm the true depth and position of each marked line. Sunshine 811 locates give an approximate path; a Vactor pothole gives the real coordinates so the bore path or trench clears every utility.
Pairing with horizontal directional drilling
On directional drilling jobs we daylight crossings at each existing utility so the drill head passes safely above or below. This keeps the bore on plan and protects lines the locate alone cannot fully verify.
Trenchless rehab support
Our trenchless CIPP (cured-in-place pipe) lining handles diameters from 2 inches to 110 inches without open-cut digging. When access pits or service-reconnection points are needed, hydro-excavation opens them precisely around the host pipe and nearby utilities. We pair this with CCTV inspection to confirm conditions before and after lining.
Dewatering, bypass, and emergency exposure
When a line must stay in service during repair, we set up bypass pumping and dewatering, then use the Vactor to expose the failure point cleanly. This is critical for sewer and water emergencies where flooding a trench is not an option.
How a hydro-excavation job runs
- Call Sunshine 811 and have all utilities located and marked (required by Florida law).
- Review locate marks and project drawings; identify every line in the dig area.
- Use pressurized water to cut soil while the vacuum removes the slurry.
- Visually confirm each utility's depth and position once exposed.
- Proceed with drilling, trenching, tie-in, or repair against verified conditions.
- Backfill, compact, and restore the surface.
Do you still call 811?
Yes, every time. Florida law requires a Sunshine 811 locate before any excavation, including hydro-excavation. The two work together: 811 marks the approximate utilities, and the Vactor confirms their exact depth and location safely. Skipping the call is both illegal and dangerous, even with non-destructive digging.
Why work with a certified underground utility contractor
Hydro-excavation is only as safe as the crew running it. As a Florida Certified Underground Utility Contractor (CUC 1225741), American Water, Sewer & Drain brings licensed expertise across the full underground scope: trenchless CIPP lining, CCTV inspection, horizontal directional drilling, dewatering, and bypass pumping. That means the team exposing your utilities is the same team qualified to repair, replace, or reline them.
Ready to dig safely?
If your project involves working near buried gas, water, sewer, electric, or fiber anywhere in Vero Beach or statewide Florida, hydro-excavation protects your timeline, your budget, and your crew. Call American Water, Sewer & Drain at (833) 379-2973 or request a quote, and we will help you plan a safe approach before the first shovel of soil moves.