David Segura’s Antos 2543 with a suction and rinsing vehicle structure

Urban sewage systems around the world are threatened by a “monster” – a waste monster made up of a mix of hardened fat and sanitary waste. Antos driver David Segura takes up this challenge in Alicante: “The sewage network needs to be cleaned thoroughly to prevent the development of fat deposits. We’re preventing the sewers from getting clogged up, as happened in London a few years ago.” David has been working for Aigües d’Elx (Aguas de Elche) for 17 years, the water supplier for the municipality of Elche in Alicante, which is responsible for the supply of drinking water, the maintenance of sewage systems and the treatment of waste water.

Cleaning and maintenance work is constantly being carried out on the 535-kilometre-long Elche sewer network. Today, David Segura is on his way to one of the 16.113 inspection shafts, located on Avenida del Elche Club de Fútbol towards San Antón. When he arrives on the scene, he reverses up very close to the shaft and, with the help of his colleague Juan Bautista, secures the area around it using traffic cones. His job is to clean 50 metres of pipeline – from one shaft to the next.

Ultra-modern cleaning technology.

The water tank in the Antos 2543 features an electrohydraulic high-pressure and suction unit. “The deposits are flushed out or sucked out thanks to the water pressure. The pipes and inspection shaft are then sparklingly clean,” David explains.

Using a lifting hook, he opens the shaft cover. “First, you need to insert the rinsing hose,” he says. The hose works its way forward in the sewer purely through high water pressure (200 bar), thus cleaning the tunnel walls as it goes.

Once it reaches the next shaft, the rinsing hose is pulled back using the motorised winch. David conveniently controls the precisely defined processes from above using a remote control.

David then drives the Antos to the processing plant: “What happens there is unbelievable.” All of the treated water in Elche is reused for watering fields, parks and gardens. Just before he finishes work, he gets a call from his boss. “How did it go today?” David: “No sign of the monster.”

Photos and video: Begoña Tremps