Seattle City Light crews will be working in the Queen Anne neighborhood this summer to extend the service life of aging underground cables and increase the reliability of electric service.
City Light is working with a company called Novinium to inject older underground cables with silicone. This process is designed to fill cracks that develop in the protective insulation as the cables age. Such cracks can lead to cable failures and power outages.
"Silicone injection is a cost-effective way to increase the reliability of service for our customers while limiting the need to dig up and replace the old cables," Superintendent Jorge Carrasco said. "We are using this process successfully throughout our service territory, including recent projects in Leschi, View Ridge, Laurelhurst and Arroyo Beach."
The 10-week project is scheduled to begin in mid-June and will involve planned outages. Crews first test the cables to determine if the injection process can work. If the cable condition is satisfactory, crews come back later to inject the silicone into the lines. Cables found to be in such poor condition that injection will not work, will be replaced. Customers will be notified at least one week in advance of any planned outages. Typically, crews work between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Customers may get information by visiting: http://www.seattle.gov/light/aboutus/construction/ or contacting Mark Vanoss at 206-684-3279 or mark.vanoss@seattle.gov
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