BC Hydro is planning an upgrade of power systems in the 100 Mile House area in a project that will span six weeks and result in a multitude of planned, brief power outages.

Bob Gammer, BC Hydro community relations co-ordinator, says the work is intended to improve reliability and will be performed by Plowe Power Systems, one of its regular contractors.

The upgrades will interrupt power to small groups of Hydro customers at a time, Gammer says, with an expected duration of less than one hour.

Although brief notifications are going out through local radio stations, as well as being posted on BC Hydro’s website (listed below), Gammer says people should watch the 100 Mile Free Press as it will contain the most detailed information as it comes available.

In addition to media advertising, door-to-door notifications will also be done, with a few minutes of advance warning given to homeowners prior to power being shut off.

However, as all businesses within the District of 100 Mile House will potentially be affected, Gammer says Plowe will co-ordinate with their commercial customers in the district to provide more advance notice, as well as consulting with them to arrange optimum times for the outages when their business will be the least affected.

Gammer asks businesses to refrain from contacting Hydro ahead of time for schedule information, but rather wait until Plowe contacts them directly to arrange a date and time.

Areas affected include 100 Mile; north to 103 Mile and 108 Mile Ranch; east to Simon Lake Road; south to Blackstock Road at Horse Lake Road and Highway 97S to Ainsworth Road; and West to Enterprise Lake, including Tatton Road, Lily Pad Lake Road, Abel Lake area and all side roads.

“The equipment is being changed out or upgraded. The reason is to just make our system more resilient, to reduce the potential for power outages and also, with respect to the bird guards, to protect wildlife and minimize their contact with live power lines,” explains Gammer.

Resiliency is also improved with the bird guard as it reduces the animal-caused or bird-caused power outages. Targeting areas where potential for wildlife contact is greater, Gammer says the bird guard is essentially a triangular-shaped object placed on the cross arm on top of the power poles to block off that section where a bird could land and, by spreading their wings or other movement, contact multiple power lines that would instantly kill the bird.

In addition to bird guards, lightning arresters will be installed to help prevent lightning-related power outages and equipment damage, says Gammer, and the technicians will also be making changes to the fused cutouts.

Information is available at www.bchydro.com and clicking on planned power outages for 100 Mile in the Thompson-Shuswap power region.