Pulaski Times

As an update to my earlier post regarding recent power outages, city staff and I have been working with Entergy Arkansas and contractors to gain a better understanding of what happened.

A contractor installing sewer equipment at a private residential development in the Ridgeland Drive area damaged Entergy’s underground facilities and resulted in outages.

Unfortunately, the workers did not call 811 to have utility lines marked before beginning their work. That one phone call could have prevented them from digging into the underground line, which caused multiple outages to as many as 2,400 residences.

Once Entergy became aware of the damage, crews worked to make the necessary repairs to restore power quickly and as safely as possible. I was in contact with Entergy during the evening of the July19th until power was completely restored to all residents. They kept me updated with the latest estimated restoration times. But because the extent of the damage, it took longer than they originally anticipated.

There are certain advantages and disadvantages to having underground electrical lines. On one hand, it helps keep Maumelle beautiful by not having power lines in our neighborhoods and reduces outages related to high winds, falling trees, and ice storms. On the other hand, outages can sometimes take longer to repair and the underground lines are susceptible to damage from digging. This is why we have 811. All excavators should call 811 before digging to determine if underground utilities are nearby.

We are currently examining the development process in Maumelle to determine whether there are actions similar to those the City is taking with the underground fiber installations that will reduce the likelihood of these damages from occurring in new developments.

Original Source can be found here.