Skip to content

Update: Power has been restored to Clearwater community

BC Hydro said service was up and running at 1:30 p.m.
28570241_web1_220331-NTC-power_1
BC Hydro investigating coommunity-wide power outage in Clearwater. (BC Hydro)

UPDATE:

BC Hydro said power has been restored to all customers in the Clearwater area.

Spokesman Bob Gammer said temporary repairs were completed around 1:30 p.m. Thursday. Some 3,798 people were without power following a transmission circuit failure south of Little Fort, which had occurred at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 23.

ORIGINAL STORY:

The District of Clearwater has imposed “severe water restrictions” across the District, following a community-wide power outage that has left 3,798 people in the dark since Wednesday.

BC Hydro crews are working to fix the fault, which was caused by a broken H-frame pole structure south that supports the power line at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 24, BC Hydro spokesman Bob Gammer said.

About 12,000 customers, including those in Barriere and Valemount, were initially affected by the outage. Although service was restored to more than half of the customers by 8 p.m. Wednesday night, it remains out for customers west of Clearwater village, northeast of Highway 5 and south of Clearwater Valley Road.

All systems are also down at the District of Clearwater office (Dutch Lake Community Centre), which said in a media release that “our ability to provide service will be very limited until power resumes” and urged residents to restrict water usage to essential activities only.

“Since the power outage, the District has taken steps to ensure safe supply of potable water to the community,” the District said. “However, given that the power outage is expected to be of a longer duration, we strongly urge everyone to conserve water so that we maintain adequate supply.

“Do not use water unless absolutely necessary.”

Gammer said crews in a helicopter found the fault south of Little Fort at around 10 a.m. Thursday and were “trying to get access to the site.

“The initial estimates to get temporary repairs by late afternoon today,” he said.



kelly.sinoski@100milefreepress.net

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter