GN Hydrovac Systems: Turning Waste into a Resource

GN has earned its reputation across a wide range of industries, oilfield, mining, tunneling, municipal, you name it, yet one of the most exciting areas of growth we’re seeing is in hydrovac waste recovery.

Something I’ve learned working with hydrovac operators across North America is that no two jobsites ever look the same, but one thing always does — the slurry. Every tank fills up the same way, and every operator has the same question at the end of the day: what now?

For years, the default answer was simple — haul it off. Pay the tipping fees, burn the fuel, and send the waste away. But lately, that answer has started to change. More clients are asking about how they can recover more of their water, reduce disposal volume, and maybe even reuse some of the solids on site.

That’s where GN’s hydrovac slurry systems have started making a real impact. They aren’t just a collection of tanks and screens — they’re a full process. From the coarse shaker that knocks out the heavy grit, to the fine screen, desilter, and finally the centrifuge that spins down the suspended solids, it’s a chain of recovery that adds up. What used to be “waste” becomes reusable material, and the water that comes off can often be put right back to work.

We’ve seen projects where hydrovac contractors were able to cut their disposal costs dramatically just by treating on site. Fewer truckloads, less downtime, and a cleaner footprint. In some cases, the recovered material even found its way back into the construction process as fill — a nice reminder that environmental responsibility doesn’t have to mean extra cost.

The other thing I’ve noticed is how much operators appreciate simplicity. GN’s systems are modular, built for continuous operation, and easy to scale. Whether you’re handling 5 trucks or 40, the system can be adapted without overcomplicating the process.

If you’re in the hydrovac or utility space and you’re curious what an integrated slurry treatment setup might look like for your operation, I will be glad to share a few examples from recent projects.