Water trucks (also called water tankers, water carts and water tanker lorries) are small to medium-sized rigid trucks with a water tank and pumping equipment on the back. They are used for four main tasks:
Carrying water for fire prevention or crowd control
Carrying drinking water to supply to rural properties
Carrying water to use in construction and civil engineering projects for dust suppression
Carrying water for irrigation
They come with various attachments to dispense the water. This could be a pump with a hose, a cannon for high-pressure water spraying, or a dribble bar (a wide bar across the front or back of the truck that dribbles a curtain of water for dust suppression).
Examples of water truck use
Transporting water to remote parts of a farm so that irrigation can continue or stock can be watered
Applying water to dry earth when soil compaction is required – water is metered at the right volume to ensure that the soil is not waterlogged but also not too dry
At some dirt track racing events (motor racing and horse racing), the track needs to be slightly slick or soft, so a water truck is used to maintain the surface
In large construction projects and in mining and quarrying, dust can be a major hazard. Water trucks dampen the surface to suppress the dust.
Fighting fires in rural areas
Washing the road surface
Watering plants (using a sprayer)
Crowd control and dispersal (using a water cannon)
Difficulties driving a water truck
Water trucks can suffer from surging and sloshing which makes them inherently less stable through the corners and makes it more difficult to brake smoothly as the surge changes the centre of gravity and pushes the truck. A fast right-left or left-right series of bends increases the risk of rollover as the water sloshes to one side then back to the other at the same time as the vehicle changes direction.
Some water trucks have baffles in them to slow down the rate of water flow and reduce its effects on lateral stability.
All water truck drivers should do a rollover prevention course. Click on the course information to the
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