FPUD to purchase additional hydro excavator

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

The Fallbrook Public Utility District will be acquiring a second hydro excavator.

A 5-0 FPUD board vote Sept. 27 approved the purchase of a hydro excavator from Municipal Maintenance Equipment for the price of $79,147.46.

"This will allow our crews to be able to work at several job sites at the same time," said FPUD field services manager Steve Stone.

FPUD purchased the existing hydro excavator in 2019 and uses it for tasks such as potholing and valve replacements. The hydro excavator reduces wear on vactor trucks and allows FPUD staff to perform excavation around leaking service lines and mains.

"The one we bought in 2019 has become an extremely useful piece of equipment for us that saves us significant cost in completing pipeline repairs," Stone said.

During valve replacements the hydro excavator exposes connection points quicker and safer than a backhoe. Its value to FPUD field staff led to a request for the district to obtain a second hydro excavator, which will allow field staff to work on multiple job sites at the same time.

FPUD sent a request for quotations to six vendors on July 20. Three of those vendors responded. Municipal Maintenance Equipment, which is headquartered in Sacramento and has an office in Norwalk, submitted the lowest bid.