PECO will inspect more than 39,000 utility poles located across its service territory this year as part of the company’s maintenance and reliability improvement program. PECO is investing $1.1 million to perform the inspections, which will continue through the spring.

Inspections, which will be performed by an independent contractor, include a visual examination of poles and the electrical equipment attached, and taking samples from the poles interior and excavating around the base to check for decay. Necessary repairs and replacements are performed based on the inspection results. After completing a 10-year inspection cycle last year, PECO is starting another 10-year cycle of wood pole inspections this year. Over the course of this cycle, PECO will inspect more than 387,000 poles across the region.

“Continuous monitoring, inspection, repair and replacement of equipment on our electric system is crucial to ensuring that our customers receive the safe and reliable service they expect and deserve,” said John McDonald, vice president of Technical Services. “Preventative maintenance programs, such as our pole inspection initiative, help to reduce the frequency and duration of outages, improve the performance of our entire system, and keep our customers and crews safe.”

Poles in the following townships and boroughs will be inspected this year:

• Bucks: Bedminster; Bensalem; Bristol Borough; Bristol Township; Buckingham; Dublin; Hilltown; Hulmeville; Lower Makefield; Middletown; Newtown Borough; Newtown Township; Northampton; Plumstead; Solebury; Tullytown; Yardley; Warminster; and Wrightstown
• Chester: Birmingham; East Bradford; East Marlborough; Easttown; Highland; Londonberry; Malvern Borough; Kennett Township; Kennett Square Borough; Newlin; Pennsbury; Pocopson; Thornbury; Tredyfrin; Upper Oxford; West Fallowfield; and Westtown
• Delaware: Haverford; Lower Merion; Media; Narberth; Newtown; and Radnor
• Montgomery: Abington; Ambler; Cheltenham; Conshohocken; Jenkintown; Plymouth; Springfield; Upper Dublin; Upper Merion; West Conshohocken; Whitemarsh; and Whitpain
• Philadelphia: Cedarbrook; Chestnut Hill; Millbrook; and Parkwood

Wood pole inspection, replacement and repair work is done in accordance with the National Electric Safety Code. This program is part of the company’s overall preventative maintenance program which includes regular inspection of equipment on PECO’s electric system, including manholes, aerial wires and underground cables, transformers, substations and other electrical equipment.