Overgrown trees causing power outages in Hanover

Christopher Bodden, Gleaner Writer

HANOVER:The management of the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) in Hanover has blamed hillside bamboo shoots and overgrown trees for the frequent power outages being experienced by customers primarily in the western section of the parish.

Residents in Hanover have been complaining for more than five years about the outages, which sometimes climb to six in a single day.

According to Hanover Parish Manager Antoinette Burton-Steer, whenever tall trees come in contact with the power lines, it results in a power cut to a safety mechanism called a recloser in the JPS substation at Orange Bay.

"This section of the parish is unique when compared to other parishes because of the abundance of the bamboo," Burton-Steer said. "The lines run from Orange Bay substation to Prospect, to Kingsvale, Middlesex, and Kew, going on to feed Lucea and its environs. This is over hilly terrain, which proves challenging for vegetation management. There is, of course, the wind-rain factor which will cause tree limbs to come in contact with power lines. If the lines were run along the coast, we would not be experiencing these outages.

"Vegetation management is an ongoing process and it takes time to get back to a particular area," she added. "There are other reasons for outages such as theft of electricity, as when people throw up wires, it causes a power outage. Much of the frequency of outages has to do with something coming in contact with the lines."

Burton-Steer said consumers could protect their appliances and electronic equipment by installing surge protectors in their homes.

Winston Banzie, JPS operations manager, said the naturally rapid growth of the bamboo made it difficult to de-bush the power lines as many times, the offending trees are outside the range of the contractors assigned to do the job.

"Bushing in any one area is done twice per year, but with the bamboo, perhaps we might have to look at bushing three times per year. The prescribed distance to cut is 12.5 feet inland from the power lines. Some 261km of power lines have been bushed since November 2012," Banzie said.

Councillor Anthony Walker of the Cauldwell Division, one of the areas heavily affected by the outages, told Western Focus that the power outage issue was now "a disgustingly annoying problem". He said the Friendship, Paradise, and Kinsgvale areas, as well as Spring Valley, Blenheim, Glasgow, Kendal, Grange Cross, and Upper Rock Spring needed urgent attention.

"There are a lot of other trees and not just bamboo that are resting on power lines all over my division. I have to bear the brunt of the residents' complaints with the outages as they look to me for help," Walker said.

"I have made the offer to the JPS that I will provide manpower and transport for bushing in my division while the JPS provides the technical assistance to turn off the power. They didn't say no, but to date, nothing has been done. But the length of time that it is taking... . I am so fed up with this!" Walker said.

Banzie, for his part, said: "Councillor Walker did make the offer to provide trucks and people to do the bushing, but my understanding is that JPS would have to pay them. We can't do that as we already have our people and structure in place. That's why I didn't follow up with that."