Decay Brought Down Power Poles In April, Report Finds

SEATTLE, WA — An independent investigation found that several poles with "advanced decay" led to the toppling of 26 of them, crushing a car and hospitalizing two in Tukwila in April. Investigators found two poles in the middle were only at 57 percent and 33 percent strength at the time of the incident. Winds up to 50 mph created the conditions to knock them down, bringing down 24 other poles with them. The report found that, while not all the poles had advanced stages of decay, at least three others had significant damage from beetles.

City Light said the poles were last inspected in 2016, but none had been identified as requiring immediate replacement. Investigators determined that the rating system in place was overly broad, as poles may not be marked for immediate replacement until they fall below 25 percent strength. City Light says they are taking immediate steps to address the issues, including assigning a project manager to directly oversee pole replacements. The utility also plans to reprioritize staffing and work to speed up the replacement process.

Right now, at least 6,000 poles are marked for required maintenance. City Light estimates addressing all of them will cost somewhere in the tens of millions. Each pole replacement costs around $13,000. City Light says there are no plans to increase rates and they will pay for the work by adjusting funding for other projects.

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