SaskPower's annual maintenance program will include plans to inspect nearly 120,000 of the over 1.2 million wooden power poles installed in the province between May and October of this year, with a number of them being in the Assiniboia area.
During the process crews will test approximately 10,000 overhead rural transformers and install wildfire protection equipment on 800 power poles in high-risk northern areas.
Signs of damage, decay and carpenter ant infestation are among the things included in the inspection process, with the goal of extending the service life of existing infrastructure while marking any units unable to be repaired or reinforced for replacement.
“Providing reliable power to our customers is a top priority for SaskPower,” said Gregg Milbrandt, SaskPower Vice President of Asset Strategy and Planning.
“With more than 1.2 million wood power poles in Saskatchewan, regular inspections and maintenance are crucial to ensure continued reliability.”
SaskPower notes that power outages are not necessary for the work to be completed and that crews will remain in the SaskPower right-of-way as much as possible, however occasional entrance into private property may be necessary at times.
Wood pole inspection locations:
- Saskatoon Rural West – May to July,
- Shaunavon – May to August,
- Assiniboia – May to July,
- Melville – Aug. to Oct.,
- Rosetown – August,
- Lloydminster – Aug. to Sept.,
- Strasbourg – Sept. to Oct.,
- Regina South – October.
Overhead transformer testing locations:
- Moosomin – May to July
- Davidson – May to July
- Rosthern – May to July
- Wynyard – July to Oct.,
- Unity – July to Oct.,
- Shellbrook – July to Oct.,
- Weyburn – Oct. to Nov.