Seattle City Light conducted extensive testing on metal streetlights and associated facilities during the weekend and identified 16 more locations with contact voltage of at least 30 volts. In each case, City Light crews immediately cut off power and started repairs. No people or pets were injured in any of the incidents.
Inspection teams made great progress toward completing tests on all metal streetlight poles and associated facilities. The final count of streetlights and associated groundcover facilities could reach about 34,000 pieces of equipment. A final count will be available once all testing of our service territory is complete.
We estimate that about 6,000 pieces of equipment remain to be tested. City Light expects those tests will be finished within a week, depending on the weather conditions.
The inspections are part of City Light’s ongoing safety testing efforts. City Light initiated testing 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. Two contractors – Davey Resources Group and Power Survey Co. – are conducting the testing.
City Light’s contractors have identified a total of 34 locations with contact voltage in addition to seven previously recorded by City Light for a total of 41.
The industry average for contact voltage potential is 0.3 percent. City Light’s finding to date is 0.15 percent.
Locations where the latest contact voltage incidents were found:
- A streetlight near 51st Avenue NE and NE 41st Street, 30 volts, bad wiring, power cut off, repairs pending
- A streetlight near Inverness Drive NE and NE 89th Street, 31 volts, bad wiring, power cut off, repairs pending
- A streetlight near Paisley Drive NE and NE 87th Street, 31 volts, bad wiring, power cut off, repairs pending
- A streetlight near NE 42nd Street and 53rd Avenue NE, 31 volts, bad wiring, power cut off, repairs pending
- A streetlight near 42nd Avenue NE and NE 41st Street, 31 volts, bad wiring, power cut off, repairs pending
- A pole near 30th Avenue NE and NE 145th Street, 51 volts, a faulty traffic sign was repaired
- A streetlight near NE 41st Street and 51st Avenue NE, 52 volts, bad wiring, power cut off, repairs pending
- A streetlight near 10th Avenue NW and NW 175th Place, Shoreline, 68 volts, bad wiring, power cut off, repairs pending
- A streetlight near Roosevelt Way NE and NE 125th Street, 70 volts, bad wiring was repaired and a bird’s nest was removed.
- A streetlight near Meridian Avenue N. and N. 147th Street, Shoreline, 82 volts, bad wiring, power cut off, repairs pending
- A streetlight near Brooklyn Avenue NE and NE 38th Street, 83 volts, bad wiring, power cut off, repairs pending
- A streetlight near NW 175th Place and 10th Avenue NW, Shoreline, 93 volts, bad wiring, power cut off, repairs pending
- A streetlight near NW 132nd Street and 10th Avenue NW, 95 volts, bad wiring, power cut off, repairs pending
- A streetlight near 21st Avenue NW and 23rd Avenue NW, 105 volts, faulty lamp head was removed and power disconnected, repairs pending
- A streetlight near NW Blue Ridge Drive and Bayard Avenue NW, 112 volts, a pinched wire was repaired
- A streetlight near 15th Avenue NW and Woodbine Way NW, 117 volts, a pinched wire was repaired
Inspection teams also found two locations on private property with contact voltage. The property owners have been notified so they can make repairs.
Equipment tested: 28,150
Percent of equipment tested (approximate): 94 percent
Voltage incidents more than 30 volts since last report: 16
Total elevated voltage incidents: 41