The city of Santa Clarita will unveil its new VACTOR maintenance truck on Thursday, June 18. The new vehicle will be used to maintain the city's extensive storm drain system, allowing staff to safely take on several more jobs to meet the growing needs of the city's storm drain maintenance program.

The VACTOR truck is equipped with one of the most powerful cleaning systems in the industry, increasing performance and enabling staff to complete responsibilities more effectively on storm drain maintenance tasks.

The vehicle runs on compressed natural gas and produces 30 percent less emissions than a comparable diesel engine, continuing the city's efforts to prevent air pollution from its vehicles and equipment.

"Previously, the city needed to contract out large storm drain cleanings, as our old equipment was inefficient and unable to effectively clean depths below 14 feet," said Scott Hamilton, Supervisor for the city's Environmental Services Division. "The new vehicle allows city staff to complete these jobs without hiring outside companies, saving nearly $10,000 annually."

The state-of-the-art VACTOR can also locate storm drain blockages and is equipped with a camera system, allowing city staff to monitor and record local storm drains for illicit connections.