Board to improve power loss rate

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 7, Issue 338, 5 June 1990, Page 4

Board to improve power loss rate

Birds, lightning, possums and plain old wear and tear meant King Country Electric Power Board's 11,000 consumers lost an average of three quarters of a minute's supply each last month. This is orte of the national comparisons set up to enable consumers to evaluate the service they are getting. Revised maintenance procedures could improve on this, chief engineer Colin Martin said, but consumers would still be affected by such things as lightning strikes. General manager Peter Till told board members the average loss 1 was not good by national standards, but he and his staff were looking

at ways of improving supply reliability. Mr Martin said they were considering using the broken out reports listing the faults to promote a little friendly competition between the Turangi, Taumarunui * and Ohakune linesmen, encouraging them to get the best record each month. Lightning caused power cuts at Omori and Whareroa and four at Tangiwai - one of them not rectified for 30 hours. Geese caused one blackout at Niho Niho while birds were also blamed for power cuts on Taumarunui's River Road and SH 41. A car hitting a pole cut power in T aumarunui just before midnight on April 13, while an opossum tripped out Ohura and its TV trans'lator on April 12.