Starting the week of May 20th and continuing throughout the next two months, St. Croix Electric Cooperative members in the areas highlighted on the map might spot an unfamiliar 4-wheeler or truck on or near their property as Jeff White of Utili-Tech Solutions inspects approximately 1,800 poles supporting powerlines distributing electricity from some circuits of the Glenwood substation covering the Town of Glenwood and parts of the towns of Forest, Emerald. Springfield and Tiffany.
Crew members for all SCEC contractors are in vehicles marked with “Contractor For” vehicle magnets that display the SCEC logo. Additionally, each member of the crew is provided with an “Approved Contractor” badge from SCEC, which includes their name and photo.
White can often be spotted on a four-wheeler driving in the right-of-way areas under overhead power lines. A pole inspection begins as soon as he can see the next pole.
“I look up to see if there’s anything wrong with the hardware - anything that might help the Co-op out,” he said.
Once at the pole, White hits it with a hammer, listening for hollow spots. Next, he drills a small hole toward the base of the pole looking for hollow spots or signs of decay, such as darker or wet shavings. This helps measure the strength of the pole. He fills the hole with a preservative, then plugs the hole. If the pole passes inspection, he attaches a date tag to the pole with the year of inspection on it. A handheld GPS device allows him to enter information about each pole, including any visual defects he may have noticed.
“Pole inspections are important for the integrity of our lines and the reliability of your power,” Operations Manager Shawn Rasmuson said. “It helps carry out our mission of providing superior electric service to our members.”
Email notifications have been sent out to members with service addresses in the area of the inspections. When members provide SCEC with an email address, they automatically receive Operations Notifications via email. Contact and Notification preferences can be managed through SmartHub: Login on the web at scecnet.net or on the SmartHub app on a mobile device.
Questions or concerns regarding pole inspections should be directed to the Operations Team at operations@scecnet.net or 715-796-7000, Option 9.
Questions or concerns regarding SmartHub Notifications should be directed to communications@scecnet.net or 715-796-5613.