How Can Technology Help You Defeat Haul Road Dust While Saving Water?

Miners know the importance of watering haul roads to keep dust down. It’s a necessary operation that makes travel safer and keeps machines moving as efficiently and quickly as possible. They also know that it’s not without challenges. Traditional water truck methods combined with overwatering can lead to areas of low traction, which can reduce truck speeds, create safety risks and shorten tire life. In addition, some sites have limited access to water, a precious resource that needs to be preserved.​

By understanding these challenges and gathering customer input, Caterpillar developed an innovative water solution using automation supported by data-driven insights to control dust without overwatering. Cat® Water Solutions is more than a water truck. It’s an integrated solution designed with an automated water delivery system, driven by a proven Cat truck platform, connected with advanced technology — providing a more efficient way to manage haul road dust. ​

The Cat Water Delivery System (WDS) communicates with Cat MineStar™ to send water data and truck information to an online cloud-based application — enabling site managers to know what their fleet is doing, who is operating which machine, and how they are utilizing their time. The Cat WDS software also has an exclusive Auto Mode feature that enables operators to deliver a more efficient watering technique with enhanced precision and control — helping solve watering issues common with traditional water trucks.​

Now, operators and site supervisors can better understand machine and water utilization to deliver more value and a lower total cost of ownership for the entire operation.