Marco’s Water Truck in Action

Driving the water truck and watering the landscape medians is a routine repeated five days a week by John Richards of Public Works. Richards has been with Public Works for 21 years and in October 2025 received an employee recognition from the City Council for 20 years of service. He dedicates his time to the operation of the City’s water truck; it’s a full-time job that requires constant maintenance. Regular watering ensures that the medians receive efficient irrigation, thus ensuring that plants are healthy and receive adequate water for growth and aesthetic purposes.

Richards drives a water truck that holds 4,000 gallons of potable water, and several mornings a week, he drives down the neighborhood from San Marco Road to the end of South Barfield. When I see John and his water truck, I usually wave to him or give him a thumbs up – a morning ritual with most of the morning walkers and runners. It can get lonely driving the water truck all day through the streets of this small island!

According to Richards, he waters only the medians that are not irrigated, and for a day’s watering schedule, he will fill the water truck seven times. He will also include watering newly planted plants using a garden hose and will dig a water well around the base to hold the water until they get established. Also, for newly planted swales, Richards will water them using the water truck until they get established.

Marco Island features over 100 miles of man-made waterfront canals, and homes are never far from a water source. Water covers 71% of the earth – yet it is a water truck that brings water to many locations where it is needed most.

Also called water tank trucks, water trucks are designed to transport water for specialized purposes with a large-capacity water tank mounted on the back of the truck.

The components of Water Trucks are:

• Water tanks, which come in various sizes from 1,000 to 5,000 gallon capacity.
• A pump system moves the water from the tank to the median or vegetation areas.
• Hoses and Nozzles control the flow of water from the tank to the vegetation.
• The chassis is the durable truck structure the water tank sits on.
• Controls and gauges by the driver’s seat allow the operator to monitor the direction of the water flow.

When not operating the water truck, Richards is part of the Public Works maintenance team and also assists in major storm events. In the past, he has operated the street sweeper, assists with field crew maintenance of traffic operations during major roadway construction projects, and is always available to assist after-hours if additional personnel are needed.

Be sure to wave at John Richards the next time you see the water truck coming down your street. Both are iconic fixtures in making sure that Marco Island’s medians are looking healthy and green. During the dry season, watering also helps suppress dust, improving our air quality.