What hydrovac slurry is, how it is recycled in British Columbia, and how to drop yours off at Arvia's licensed Langley facility.
Hydrovac slurry is the wet mixture of soil, sand, clay, rock, and water produced when a hydrovac truck excavates using pressurized water and vacuum suction. It is essentially liquefied excavated ground, and it must be dewatered or recycled before the water and solids can be reused or disposed of.
Hydrovac slurry is mostly water mixed with excavated native material such as sand, silt, clay, gravel, and rock, plus whatever is present at the dig site. Its exact composition varies by location, which is why each load is tested before processing.
In BC, hydrovac slurry is most often dewatered and sent to landfill, but it can instead be recycled at a licensed facility. Arvia recycles slurry at its Langley facility, separating it into clean water, recycled sand, and reusable aggregate so little or nothing goes to landfill.
Hydrovac slurry is generally non-hazardous because it is mostly soil and water, but it can be contaminated depending on the dig site. For that reason every load is characterized and tested before recycling, and any contaminated material is handled accordingly.
Hydrovac operators in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley can drop off slurry at Arvia's licensed facility at 20331 Duncan Way, Langley, BC. Arvia accepts the load and recycles it on-site rather than sending it to landfill. Call (604) 217-5525 to set up a drop-off account.
Yes. Hydrovac slurry can be separated into reusable components: water is reclaimed, sand is screened and recycled, and rock and gravel are processed into construction-ready aggregate. Arvia recovers all three from each load using engineered separation on contained concrete pads.
Arvia turns recycled slurry into three products: reclaimed clean water, recycled sand, and reusable aggregate for construction and backfill. To May 2026, Arvia has recovered more than 63 million litres of water, 65,000 tonnes of sand, and 79,000 tonnes of aggregate.
Arvia's recycled sand and aggregate are approved for non-ALR projects only, meaning projects outside British Columbia's Agricultural Land Reserve. They are suited to construction, infrastructure, and backfill applications. Contact Arvia for current availability and pricing.
Yes. Arvia Environmental Systems is licensed by the BC Ministry of Environment and processes every load on engineered concrete pads designed for full containment, so there are no leaks and no contamination.
First-time customers sign up online to set up a drop-off account. Arvia confirms material acceptance and drop-off details, then you bring your hydrovac slurry to the licensed Langley facility, where it is recycled into clean water, sand, and aggregate.
Set up a slurry drop-off account or ask us about recycled aggregate.