On the morning of Tuesday, May 9, a power outage occurred at Indian Hills in south Price. Steven Richardson from Price City Utilities updated ETV 10 News the next day with what exactly occurred.
At first, it was thought that both a transformer and underground primary line were the cause of the outage and that the transformer would need to be replaced. By the end of the day, the final cause of the outage was discovered to be due to an underground line fault. Problems discovered with the transformer wiring were not related as was originally suspected.
“The underground power line fault was located by the crew from Rocky Mountain Power and they were able to uncover the wire and repair the issue,” stated Richardson. “Meanwhile, they also carefully inspected the transformer in question and determined that it was still in good operating condition and that they needed to make minor repairs and changes to the wiring entering the transformer.”
At the time of the outage, Price City estimated that the power would be out for up to four hours. However, the power was able to be restored sooner than anticipated and was back on around 1:30 p.m.
“We appreciate the residents who live in the neighborhood that first alerted us to the power outage and those that showed patience and provided help as the problems were dealt with. We are also thankful for the quick responses from those at Rocky Mountain Power, Public Safety Dispatch and here at Price City.”
Richardson then offered tips to residents about what to do if the power goes out.
First, he stated it is important to stay calm. He then explained that crews are dispatched as quickly as possible with the priority of minimizing the number of affected customers and then to begin the repairs that are needed. “The electrical grid is large and complex. It may take some time to find the problem and make repairs,” Richardson explained. “Sometimes, the area of the outage may have to be increased by crews to be able to do their work safely.” He then went on to explain that there are always constant system maintenance, incident planning and upgrades that are being made. However, accidents, natural disasters and vandalism can overwhelm even the best prevention efforts.
The next tip that was provided is to only travel as much and as far as you need to in the affected area. The reasoning behind this is because traffic can become congested. This can then cause a problem for Police, Fire personnel, Ambulance services and even school buses. “Always treat non-working traffic signals as four-way stops until power is restored and they begin working properly.” Also, remember to pull off to the side of the road when emergency vehicles approach you from any direction with active lights and sirens. Make sure to check for additional emergency vehicles before you proceed driving.
It is important to be prepared before an outage. “Decide how you will perform daily activities without power such as getting children to and from school or daycare, going to work, preparing meals and entertainment activities,” Richardson advised. Remember that fast food restaurants, diners and grocery stores may also be affected by outages and may not be able to help. It is also good to be prepared with flashlights and spare batteries in locations that can be accessed easily in the dark. Practicing these preparations occasionally while there is power will help make it easier to become more familiar with them.
Richardson then reminded that fridges and freezers will remain cold for several hours. Try to limit the amount of times the door is opened as well as the duration it is open. This will help extend the period of time the fridge and freezer will remain cold. “If the outage lasts beyond when you are going to bed, make sure appliances such as hot plates, slow cookers, electric stoves and ovens, electric grills and griddles, oil fryers, electric space heaters, heat lamps, electric blankets, etc. are off and/or unplugged,” Richardson suggested. “Turn off and unplug any power tools or equipment that may have been on or running when the outage occurred. Check light switches and lamps and turn them off as well.”
Remember to never back-feed a home with a portable generator. “Always plug the items that you want powered directly into the generator,” he advised. “Back-feeding can cause hazardous conditions for the people working on the power lines.” Try to consider investing in a home backup generator package or proper power transfer equipment that can be used with a portable generator. Richardson then stated to contact licensed professionals and the local building department for any help or advice.
Lastly, if a health service such as oxygen, CPAP/BIPAP, home dialysis or medication pumps are used in the home, work with home health providers and professionals to determine what back up solutions will be needed. Once determined, it is important to receive the proper equipment and training on how to use those solutions.
To report power problems, outages, bad poles or street lights that are out, contact the Price City Utilities Office at (435) 637-5010 or (435) 636-3196 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. During any other time, outages can be reported to Rocky Mountain Power at (877) 508-5088. When calling Rocky Mountain Power, tell the representative that you are calling from a “no match area reporting a power outage.”
To report emergencies such as downed wires, pole and electrical fires or utility line strikes from equipment or vehicles, the reporting party must call 911 so the proper agencies can be dispatched.
Reports for non-emergency issues such as street lights that are out or power poles that might be bad can be emailed to power@priceutah.net.
It is important to understand that public safety dispatch should not be contacted for power outage updates. This could interfere with emergency services communications.
For more information, visit Price City Utilities website here.