SaskPower plans to inspect almost 120,000 wood power poles between May and October as part of its annual maintenance program. Crews will also test approximately 10,000 overhead rural transformers and install wildfire protection equipment on 800 poles in high-risk areas in the north.

“Providing reliable power to our customers is a top priority for SaskPower,” said Gregg Milbrandt, SaskPower Vice-President of Asset Strategy and Planning. “With more than 1.2 million wood power poles in Saskatchewan, regular inspections and maintenance are crucial to ensure continued reliability.”

Crews will look for signs of damage, decay and/or carpenter ant infestation while completing maintenance activities to extend the life of the poles. Any pole that cannot be repaired or reinforced will be marked for replacement.

No power outages are necessary for this work. Crews will stay in the SaskPower right-of-way as much as possible but may need to occasionally access private property.

The inspection schedule is as follows (dates subject to change):

Learn more at saskpower.com/woodpoles.

At a glance...

• SaskPower is inspecting almost 120,000 wood power poles this year
• Crews will look for signs of damage, decay and/or carpenter ant infestation
• There are over 1.2 million wood power poles in Saskatchewan
• Inspections begin in May and continue through October
• Learn more at saskpower.com/woodpoles