Seattle City Light identified nine streetlights that were giving off voltage in the utility’s latest round of streetlight safety testing. No one was injured by any of the streetlights. In each case, City Light crews immediately cut power and started repairs.
The inspections are part of City Light’s ongoing safety testing and repair efforts on all its 30,000 metal streetlight poles and nearby metal facilities.
After the death of a dog that stepped on an energized groundcover plate in Queen Anne in November and two other unrelated reports of energized metal streetlight equipment, City Light initiated testing of all of its metal streetlight poles and related metal equipment.
City Light testing, along with reports from customers, has identified a total of 21 voltage incidents.
Two contractors – Davey Resources Group and Power Survey Co. – were hired to help City Light with the testing.
The contractors have tested 11,050 pieces of equipment or about 37 percent of the total. They are making good progress on completing the testing process. Areas where testing has been completed include Seattle Center, Downtown, SODO, Capitol Hill, First Hill, West Seattle, Madrona and Tukwila.
Locations where the latest contact voltage was discovered were:
- 1721 SW Roxbury Street, 111 volts, a faulty ballast assembly was replaced
- E James and 32nd Avenue, 98 volts, bad wiring was replaced
- E Spruce and 32nd Avenue, 35 volts, a bad connection was found and all connections were replaced
- E Yesler Way and 28th Avenue, 41 volts, a bad wiring connection was found, power was disconnected, repairs pending
- SW Avalon Way and 35th Avenue SW, 104 volts, bad wiring was repaired
- SW Holly Street and 31st Avenue SW, 107 volts, a faulty lamp head was replaced
- 4115 SW Arroyo Drive, 84 volts, a faulty ballast assembly was replaced
- SW Arroyo Drive and 39th Avenue SW, 98 volts, power was disconnected, repairs pending
- 12th Avenue S and S Jackson Street, 100 volts, frayed wiring was repaired
Voltage Incidents since last report: 9
Total Voltage Incidents: 21
Total Tested: 11,050
Percentage of Equipment Tested: 37 percent