A Miner’s Guide to Water Trucks: Why They Matter and How You Can Use Them

From timeline management to the quality check procedures, to hiring the right team, the enormity of details one must consider in any mining operation is astounding. Beyond practices and logistical systems, the success of any mining operation significantly depends on the equipment that is used to make everything happen.

From mine-spec vehicles to load management equipment, there’s no denying that the capabilities of a mine and what it achieves is formed by the quality of heavy-plant equipment within it. Amongst these different moving parts, however, there’s one that plays an even bigger role in success than one may expect: the water truck.

Water trucks sometimes referred to as water carts, are a vital part of the construction, mining and civil operations. They are often used for dust control, compaction, civil and major road building and can also be used for fire prevention and controls.

KEE Hire has a wide range of water carts and trucks for hire, varying from 14,000-litre 6×4 units to Moxy Articulated Trucks which hold up to 30,000 litres. A 6 x 4 water truck’s spray can make it easier to compact into a surface, which is critical for road construction projects. Contractors use a water cart in tandem with a grader or roller to achieve a smooth and compact surface. 20,000-litre dinosaurs are often used for off-road and agricultural work. The bigger end 40,000 litre articulated dump-truck mounted units are primarily used on mine sites in a varying range of roles- from dust suppression, to haul road maintenance through to open-pit hydration work, as well as water haulage.

The importance of water trucks in your mine:

Water trucks play a crucial role in both small-scale and larger mining operations. These vehicles comprise of four crucial parts that allow them to perform specific tasks, namely:

1. Special water tanks that are built and reinforced according to particular specifications so that they can carry up to 36,000 litres of water in a single trip.
2. A custom chassis design that allows them to get around the rugged terrain of a mine with ease.
3. Custom-spec pumping equipment that’s built to meet the needs of specific tasks.
4. Mounting apparatus that make it far easier to carry out key functions.

As opposed to traditional trucks which can be used for more generic tasks, water trucks are purpose-specific. That means that they can’t be used for anything other than supplying water for specific tasks. This specialised vehicle, thanks to its functionality, helps dozens of mines all over Australia.

Where can these vehicles be used?

While many tasks on a mine call for the use of extensive amounts of water, there are a few common purposes that stand out above all else and require the use of the vehicle in question. If you’ve been meaning to invest in a water truck for your mine but are unsure of how the investment can be justified, here are a just a couple of applications where the water cart is a stand-out piece of heavy plant:

1. Road construction: As opposed to standard processes which wholly relied on unnecessary amounts of labour, water trucks make it far easier and faster to construct roads because they effectively compact any terrain into an even surface. In unison with a compaction roller or grader, the truck helps ensure that an effortlessly even and smooth finish is achieved every single time.

2. Dust suppression: What makes mines in Australia so dependent on the use of water trucks is that the country’s dusty and dry outback creates various unique challenges that need water—especially in the case of dust control. Through the help of a well-equipped truck however, you can easily manage the excessive amounts of dust because it can be used to soak the dry earth. KEE noticed the dust issues in particular when they started their branch up in Port Hedland. The amount of dust in the Pilbara can make a working environment almost unbearable, which is why at our KEE Port Hedland yard we use our water cart twice a day, just to keep the working area clean and dust-free for our mechanics.

Conclusion

Among all the different tools that you can use in a mine, a water truck presents a great significance when it comes to ensuring that everything runs smoothly in a day’s work. With the help of a dependable truck, you can ensure that you and your workers can avoid unwanted problems or inefficiencies by having a steady supply of water on standby when you need it most.

When it comes to providing your operations with the right equipment, you can get maximum success without having to spend a fortune by getting our water trucks for hire in Perth and other equipment rental services at the right price. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help!