What comes to mind when you think about water trucks? You probably see them spraying water through hoses or controlled spray nozzles attached to either the front or rear of the truck. But did you know that water trucks serve several purposes? Here is a quick review of the many ways a water truck can be used.
Water Trucks for Dust Control
Dust is a huge problem at construction sites, mining operations, and during road construction. The dust clouds can slow down work and even bring a shift to a halt until the situation is rectified. A water truck with a tank between 2,000 and 4,000 gallons can tamp down the dust. This is easily done with the water truck following a grader that is churning up the dust as part of the job of leveling the ground. Without dust control, workers can suffer eye and lung irritation, asthma, bronchitis, and various other respiratory issues.
Water Trucks for Farming

Water trucks are a useful tool in combating drought in agriculture. When fields show signs of drying up, crops suffer. If these crops do not get harvested, they do not go to market which disrupts the supply chain. Water trucks help keep soil moist and this ensures crops grow as they should. Water trucks became a regular part of farming in the 2010s and have continued to be major contributors to successful harvests.
Water Trucks for Firefighting

Water trucks make sense as a tool to fight grass, bush, and structure fires. They are particularly effective in this application in rural settings. The reason for this is that rural areas may not have water service readily available, or if it is, it may not be reliable. Low pressure, low capacity if reservoir tanks are depleted, and so on. This makes a water truck extremely valuable for fighting fire.
Water Trucks for Soil Compaction
Construction sites require flat, even ground before foundations for buildings or other structures can be built. The soil compaction process involves the use of various pieces of heavy equipment ranging from rammers and rollers, to vibrating plates and water. However, the water used must be carefully monitored as too much of it will make the ground soft and unstable. A water truck, with controlled nozzles, can provide the correct volume of water to make soil compaction possible without compromising the water-to-soil ratio.
Water Trucks to Supply Potable Water
A natural disaster like a flood or earthquake can result in the contamination of a municipal water source. When a water system is compromised in such a way, drinking the water becomes dangerous as the contamination may result in illness and disease. To prevent this from happening, and keep water available for survival, water trucks can be used as watering stations. This permits people affected by natural disasters to have access to safe, potable water.
Water Trucks Make Things Easier
Before water trucks entered the picture, it took a lot of effort to get water to where it had to be. From canals and water jugs to lengthy pieces of water hose, the way water was transported to where it was needed was risky and time-consuming. With a water truck, all of this has been replaced with a more reliable method of providing water to different sites.
Water Trucks as a Cooling Station
During a heat wave, nothing looks better than a water truck spraying water for people to use to cool down. Without access to even a light mist of water on a scorching hot day, you risk developing heat stroke. This can lead to serious health issues. A water truck with a sprayer can not only cool down the temperature where it is being used, but it can help you stay properly hydrated so you do not fall victim to the heat.

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Conclusion
A water truck can be used in many different ways. From construction, mining, and fire fighting to dust control, soil compaction, and providing safe drinking water, water trucks are very useful. When you consider they are essentially just giant tanks on wheels, it is amazing how important these vehicles have become. Need water somewhere? A water truck can get it there and distribute it for you with ease.