The first of three separate rounds of outages to the City’s electric utility is now underway. This first round is scheduled to run from March 17 to April 2 and is comprised of nine separate outages including one on Saturday, March 28 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm affecting residents on portions of Middle Bench Road and Westminster Ave.
“Some residents in the affected areas have expressed concern about these outages and whether or not they are needed in light of the requirements for people to stay home,” said Mayor John Vassilaki. “I can assure you that these outages are absolutely necessary and we are encouraging affected residents to be prepared.”
The outages are needed to complete the conversion of the City’s distribution system to a common 12kV voltage and will continue through to May 6, 2020. Residents who are affected by an outage will receive a notice from the City in the mail with information about the outage. Schedules and maps for each round of outages can be found today at www.penticton.ca.
“The City has been gradually moving to a common distribution system for the past ten years and these outages are the final steps in the conversion,” says General Manager of Infrastructure Mitch Moroziuk. “This consistency throughout the city will increase the system’s capacity to handle larger loads and provide the flexibility needed to restore power during emergencies.”
Residents with questions are invited to contact the Electric Utility department at (250) 490-2535.