The apparatus comprises a vacuum tank with a front-mounted collection means thereunder The collection means is a V-shaped scraper with a height adjustable suction inlet at the apex thereof. The collection means has a pair of laterally adjustable pivoting wings for varying its width to correspond to that of an alley or gutter. The suction inlet may be equipped with a snorkel to introduce a small quantity of air as an aid in entraining thick-consistency materials. A blower vac is used to both draw air into and blow air through the vacuum tank. A valve means comprising a pair of oppositely oriented check valves is used to alternate flow paths between a lowered rearward exhaust during collection and an elevated intake during tank discharge.