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Electricity in the country - overcoming the problems:
Above - Bushfires create havoc to communities and cut off the electricity supply grid.
Farmers and other country people sometimes have unique electricity supply problems which city families never have to face. Bushfires can wipe out power supplies over a wide area, besides causing untold danger, devastation and heartbreak. Western Australia’s electricity utilities rely heavily on the cooperation of all their customers to ensure the safe, economical and reliable supply of statewide electricity.
People in the towns and cities, especially those living in heavily wooded hills areas, are constantly being asked to help avoid power blackouts by pruning their trees away from power lines and planning their gardens to avoid these problems. The cooperation that Western Australian utilities receive from country people is particularly important because of the distances and large areas involved.
In rural areas, there are additional hazards which require extra precautions. For example, farmers often handle large sections of equipment such as windmills, silos and irrigation pipes and tanks which must be kept well clear of power lines.
The South West Interconnected System (SWIS) consists of nearly 88,000 kilometres of power lines.
Western Power has installed more than 720,000 power poles in Western Australia.
While skilled, experienced personnel keep a watchful eye on this electrical equipment to minimise problems, farmers and other local people are asked to look out for any electrical equipment needing repairs and to report any faults immediately to their nearest electricity depot or office. An “emergency telephone system” relays customer messages to a regional electricity officer’s home after business hours.
I Next Section >> Underground power enhances local communities.
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