The Water & Sewage industry plays a vital role in keeping cities, businesses, and homes connected to clean drinking water and effective wastewater treatment. The sector handles enormous volumes of heavy concrete and plastic pipes, manholes, shaft elements, and tanks that all need to be moved, lowered, and installed safely and accurately. Vlentec supports water utilities, sewer contractors, and civil engineering firms worldwide with vacuum lifting equipment that combines high lifting capacity with the precision required to install water and sewer infrastructure efficiently and without surface damage.
For Manufacturing & Construction
Water & Sewage projects involve a wide variety of heavy and often delicate components. Concrete sewer pipes, HDPE and PE drinking water mains, ductile iron pipes, large precast manholes, and prefabricated shaft elements all need to be lowered into trenches with millimeter accuracy, often within tight urban environments. Vacuum lifting allows contractors to perform this work safely and efficiently, gripping each load through controlled suction across a large contact surface and protecting coatings, linings, and surface finishes from the damage caused by chains, slings, or clamps.
The same equipment supports the construction and renovation of wastewater treatment plants, pumping stations, and stormwater facilities, where heavy concrete elements and large-diameter pipes need to be positioned with great care. With both diesel-powered and electric configurations available, Vlentec vacuum lifters can be deployed on outdoor jobsites without grid access, as well as inside treatment plants and urban work zones where emissions and noise must be kept to a minimum. Mounted on an excavator or crane, a single vacuum lifter allows one operator to perform tasks that traditionally required multiple riggers, reducing manpower and keeping crews out of the load’s danger zone.
Typical Water & Sewage applications include the installation of concrete sewer pipes and culverts, the laying of drinking water mains in HDPE, PE, and ductile iron, the placement of precast manholes and shaft elements, the construction and refurbishment of wastewater treatment plants, the handling of components for pumping and buffer stations, and the renewal of stormwater infrastructure in urban environments. Across all of these tasks, Vlentec vacuum lifters help water and sewer contractors increase productivity, reduce damage costs, and maintain a strong jobsite safety record.
We are passionate about innovation and working together to engineer and deliver lifting solutions to elevate your business.
Why Vacuum Lifting?
Vacuum lifting has transformed the lifting industry and has provided a conclusion to the pursuit of a safe, efficient and sustainable heavy-duty lifting method. In the Water & Sewage sector, where pipes and elements are frequently installed in narrow trenches, busy streets, and active treatment facilities, every minute lost on rigging and every component damaged in transit drives up project costs and disrupts service to end users. Conventional handling tools such as chains, slings, and clamps create concentrated point loads that can crack concrete pipes, scratch internal linings, and damage the protective coatings that water and sewer pipes rely on for long service life.
Vacuum lifting solves these issues by securing loads through controlled suction across a large, even contact area, leaving linings, coatings, and surface finishes untouched. Operators stay clear of the load, lifting cycles become significantly faster, and components arrive at their final position in the same condition they left the storage yard. The result is a lifting method that improves productivity, lowers operational costs, and supports the long-term durability that modern water and sewer infrastructure demands.
About Vlentec
We have been pioneers within the vacuum lifting industry since 1983 and are now the leading global expert in the field. Our team of highly qualified, experienced engineers and our dedication to transparent customer communication has enabled our business to continue to innovate and elevate the pipe lifting industry. From our headquarters in the Netherlands, we serve customers worldwide with vacuum lifting equipment that is engineered, tested, and certified entirely in-house.
For the Water & Sewage sector, this means decades of experience in supporting water utilities, sewer contractors, civil engineering firms, and treatment plant builders with vacuum lifting solutions tailored to their specific projects. Whether you are renewing an inner-city sewer network, installing a new drinking water trunk main, or building a wastewater treatment plant, our specialists work alongside your team to specify the right vacuum lifter and attachments. From the first consultation through installation, operator training, and long-term service support, we partner with our customers to make every lifting operation safer, faster, and more profitable.
Our Product Range
Our standard product range offers a selection of electric and diesel powered vacuum pipe lifters engineered to elevate your load lifting. For Water & Sewage applications, we offer vacuum lifters in three standard capacities: 12,500 kg available in electric and diesel, 25,000 kg available in electric and diesel, and 32,000 kg in a diesel configuration for the heaviest concrete pipes and precast elements. Each model can be combined with a wide range of attachments to suit specific materials, dimensions, and surface finishes, from concrete sewer pipes and precast manholes to HDPE, PE, and ductile iron drinking water mains. For projects with non-standard requirements, our engineering team develops custom-built vacuum lifting solutions, while rental and pre-owned units are available for short-term assignments and budget-sensitive operations.
Get In Touch
Are you ready to take your load lifting to the next level? Get in contact with our expert team today and we can get to work engineering the lifting solution to elevate your business. Whether you need to specify a vacuum lifter for a sewer renewal project, plan equipment for installing drinking water mains, or organize rental equipment for a wastewater treatment plant build, our specialists are ready to help you find the most suitable configuration for your operation.
