Lanes brings a jet vac giant from fields of battle to fields of Britain

A jet vac giant that has proved its worth in the conflict zones of Afghanistan and Iraq is being brought to the UK for the first time by Lanes Group.

The JHL 8×8 Recycler is a true behemoth of drainage management, and is designed to be the most capable all-terrain jet vac tanker in the world.

Lanes Group has bought the monster machine, which towers above other jet vac tankers on the UK market, primarily to support major utility clients, maintaining and repairing wastewater network systems in remote areas.

It is based at Lanes Utilities’ Thames Water depot in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, but is available for challenging projects across the UK. Drainage work on railway assets is expected to be a key use.

The vehicle is coming into service just in time to contribute, in the coming months, to Lanes’ emergency response to drainage problems caused by severe winter weather.

Lanes Utilities Director Andy Brierley said: “The JHL 8×8 Recycler has been used by the US and Danish armies to support combat operations, and by the United Nations on humanitarian missions, in some of the most remote areas of the world.

“With the challenges posed by increasingly volatile weather in the UK, and the desire of our utilities clients to maintain their networks to the highest standards, we are confident the machine will be of major benefit.

“It’s the first time this world-leading all-terrain jet vac recycler will be used in the UK. Our commitment to this substantial investment reflects our determination to being a 100% capable drainage solutions provider.

“We believe the JHL 8×8 Recycler will quickly establish itself as being indispensable for both emergency and planned drainage work, no matter how tough the terrain or hostile the conditions.”

Lanes Utilities Thames Water Framework Director Conrad Ashby said: “Our experience supporting Thames Water during the very serious floods last winter taught us that better all-terrain capability would help us to respond positively during such emergencies, not just after them.

“For example, the JHL 8×8 will allow us to drive through flood areas and tackle problems like defective sewer pumps, helping us to alleviate flooding more rapidly, and reduce the size of the area affected.”

The JHL 8×8 Recycler is based on an eight-wheeled military specification Mercedes chassis, which can deliver power to all eight wheels at once. At a touch of a button the drive can be switched between all-terrain and standard road conditions. The chassis is fully auto and has the latest Euro 6 engine.

The vehicle has independent suspension to all eight wheels and can pump up to 700 litres of water a minute over a distance of 2 kilometre using its on-board pump station

As a jet vac recycler it can continuously filter and reuse its water, reducing its reliance on external water sources – and increasing the sustainability of the drainage work it undertakes. No matter how remote the environment, the unit is fully independent, needing only fuel to power its engine.

JHL Sales Director Liam Kearney said: “The JHL 8×8 can go across fields, over ditches, through rivers and over mountains. As yet, we haven’t found terrain where there are drainage assets that it hasn’t been able to reach.

“The unit has a moveable partition inside the 14,000 litre tank which allows for total flexible between the amount of waste and water.

“But the key to this innovation has been getting the vehicle’s centre of gravity low enough to make it truly all-terrain. Given its height above ground, the system for diverting power from the drive system to the recycler pump has also been a technical challenge.

“We are excited that Lanes Group has become the first utilities and drainage specialist in the UK to invest in the JHL 8×8 Recycler. The experience and expertise Lanes has will help us develop our next generation of all-terrain vehicles.”

JHL developed its 8×8 Recyclers and Flexlines specifically for military and humanitarian roles. The 8×8 model first saw service in Kosovo and Croatia to provide clean water and repair drainage systems devastated by the Balkan War of the late 1990s.

More recently, the vehicle has been used by military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan to service remote bases and repair drainage systems as part of humanitarian campaigns.

JHL has said the vehicle is so specialised that Lanes personnel operating it will have to undergo military-style training in Denmark to be make use of its full range of off-road capabilities.

Lanes Group is the largest independent supplier of wastewater, utility and underground pipeline services in the UK. Lanes Utilities provides planned and reactive maintenance and repair services for a number of utility providers, including Thames Water, Anglian Water and Severn Trent Water.