BC Hydro crews will replace 190 power poles in Williams Lake this year. The work is part of BC Hydro’s ongoing maintenance program that will see the replacement of about 12,000 utility poles over the next several months throughout the province.
On average, power poles last about 40 to 50 years; however, there are approximately 70,000 wooden poles in the system that have been in service for more than 50 years. Power poles weaken and deteriorate over time due to adverse weather, insects and wildlife.
BC Hydro maintains and operates a vast and complex electrical system in B.C. which includes 900,000 wooden poles that hold more than 58,000 kilometres of overhead distribution lines and 278,000 overhead transformers. Replacing power poles is one of the investments BC Hydro is making in aging infrastructure to improve the safety and reliability of the electricity system.
To ensure the safety of crews and the public, BC Hydro may need to disconnect power when replacing aging power poles. Crews will notify customers in-person, by mail or phone about these scheduled outages for maintenance
