April 24, 2006
BC Hydro undertakes vegetation management around ground transformers in Victoria
VICTORIA – To assure continued public safety and electrical reliability, BC Hydro is planning to inspect clearance around ground transformers in areas with underground wiring in the Victoria region. The vegetation management work will begin May 1 and continue through August. Contractors will begin near Sidney in the Saanich Peninsula and move south and west through Victoria to Sooke to cover off the Capital Regional District.
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| A BC Hydro padmounted transformer with appropriate vegetation screening and clearance. |
"If there's a power outage or if emergency maintenance is required, our crews need to be able to open and access the transformer quickly and easily," said BC Hydro's Distribution Coordinator, Stephen Borradaile. "There cannot be fences, walls or shrubs within that area inhibiting our access."
BC Hydro requires a 2.5 m clearance from the front of the transformer (which usually faces the street), and 0.3 metres for the back and on both sides.
BC Hydro awarded the contract work to Sodbuster Landscaping Ltd. The contractor will be knocking on doors of the homes that have a padmounted transformer on their property. Homeowners have the option of removing any shrubs themselves that are within the clearance zone or allow the contractor to remove vegetation when they return the one week later.
"New homeowners may not be aware of the clearance requirements, so this serves as a reminder to them of our need for ongoing public safety and reliability," added Borradaile.
If you are considering planting near transformers, junipers, azaleas, vibernun and mugho pines are excellent choices. Bushes that grow no more than two to three metres are ideal. Vegetation should be pruned back annually.
Padmounted transformers contain high voltage electrical equipment. If you are considering work involving digging in the vicinity of a padmounted transformer, call BC Hydro at 1 800 BCHYDRO to make sure you are aware of where cables are located. Sodbuster can be reached at 250 741 1472 or by email.
Contact:
| Ted Olynyk |
| VI Community Relations manager |
| Phone: 250 755 7180 |
| ted.olynyk@bchydro.com |
