Crews from BC Hydro will be replacing power poles in Burns Lake over the next several months. The work is part of BC Hydro’s ongoing maintenance program that will see the replacement of more than 10,000 utility poles this year throughout the province.
More than 900,000 wooden poles are part of BC Hydro's electricity distribution system. More than 20 per cent of BC Hydro’s wooden poles have been in service for more than 40 years. In total, BC Hydro’s system includes 56,000 kilometres of distribution lines.
Over time, wooden poles weaken due to adverse weather, insects and wildlife. Regular inspections of the old poles leads to the installation of new poles for safety and to strengthen the reliability of the electricity system. Pole replacement may require BC Hydro or its contractors to disconnect power. Crews take special care to avoid any unnecessary impacts to customers. However, if outages need to be scheduled for safety reasons, BC Hydro or its contractors will let customers know.