There are an estimated 1.25 million treated wood poles presently in service in Saskatchewan. The Wood Pole Maintenance project identifies wood poles that have reached the end of their in-service life, as well as poles that can have their service life extended through treatment and reinforcement.
Regular maintenance may extend the life of the poles by upwards of 70 years. If we did not test or treat these poles, we'd likely have to replace them after about 30 years.
A decayed wood pole
A wood pole in good condition
Scheduled maintenance plans
As part of this project, we are undertaking annual maintenance on our wood power poles in the Swift Current, Maple Creek and Shaunavon areas. From May through to November 2012, SaskPower contractor crews will test upwards of 110,000 poles for decay, carpenter ant infestation and mechanical damage.
Due to the scope of this project, we have partnered with Genics Inc. to complete the work. Genics Inc. will stay within the SaskPower right of way as much as possible, but there may be instances when the contractor will require access to private property. All contractors will be wearing high visibility clothing and identification.
If you have any questions or concerns relating to this project, please call the SaskPower district office in your area.
What we use to treat our poles
We use some of the most benign wood preservatives commercially available to treat our wood poles. They are both PMRA (Canada) and EPA (US) approved, and considered to be one of the safest, most effective decay protection/prevention systems for wood poles.
- We use Borate-based solid rods, which are inserted into the pole. The rods diffuse into the wood over time, thus protecting against decay and ants. The rods are designed to diffuse at the same moisture level required for fungi to be active, effectively stopping decay before it gets going. This also enables us to have a 10-year treatment cycle.
Please remember, although considered safe when carefully applied by a professional, these chemicals can kill plants if in direct contact and in large amounts. Our contractors take all regular precautions to avoid breathing fumes and dust directly. This is one of the reasons we notify people when we need to be on private property—so that they can take similar precautions while we are doing this work. Except for a borate liquid for external damages, all treatments are applied in such a way as not to be readily available to kids, pets, livestock or animals.
Environmental benefits
The Rural Electrical Distribution Program uses salvaged poles, which reduces the number of new trees harvested for use as power poles. This also reduces the number of wood poles that are disposed of in landfills.
Quick facts
The Wood Pole Maintenance project performs a variety of functions:
- Identifies poles that require immediate maintenance, thus increasing reliability and safety;
- Collects condition data, which in turn drives maintenance plans and strategies;
- Data obtained from the inspections provides insight as to the types of wood poles better suited for our climate and conditions;
- Provides an accurate inventory of the asset;
- Provides treatments to the area of a pole most prone or susceptible to decay and ants;
- Under normal operating conditions, may extend the life of the asset upwards of 70 years;
- Extending the life of the existing assets lessens the demand for poles from our forests, thus reducing our environmental footprint; and
- Reduces overall operating and maintenance costs.
How this fits into our Future Power Plan
We are making an unprecedented, multi-year investment in our electricity system to make sure the necessary infrastructure is in place to meet the province's growing power needs, today and into the future.
From 2000 to 2008, electrical demand increased steadily at about 1.3 per cent each year. From 2009 to 2019, electrical demand is expected to increase 2-4 per cent per year. In order to ensure reliable, sustainable and affordable energy, we must examine alternative power generation technologies and innovative conservation programs. This will allow us to keep pace with the province.
At SaskPower, our overall objective is to create and maintain a sustainable energy supply—one that balances economic, environmental and social requirements. Comprehensive and ongoing system planning and maintenance is a critical foundation for not only the ongoing success of our company, but also the future prosperity of Saskatchewan.
