KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 2, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Aquila power line personnel continue to make progress in restoring electrical service to customers across the company's Kansas service territory, where power lines sagged or fell in the grasp of ice the diameter of beverage cans. More than 250 power poles were uprooted or snapped and thousands of cross-arms and insulators broken under the tremendous weight of the ice on the lines.
By mid-day Tuesday it was estimated that about 4,400 Aquila electric customers were still without power. While hundreds more will regain service throughout the day, it is expected that some customers will not have electricity until this weekend. Nearly 20,000 Aquila customers initially lost power during the storm.
"By the end of today we expect to have most of our main feeder lines back in service," said Steve Ferry, vice president of Aquila's Kansas electrical network serving 68,000 Kansas customers. "We have 168 linemen, nearly 90 of them employees and contractors brought in from our Missouri operations, and a number of contract tree crews and dozens of support personnel working to restore power."
Even with the additional resources, Ferry estimated that it will be take until at least this weekend to replace 10 miles of transmission line leading to Almena, Kan., and 8.5 miles of line feeding Utica, Kan. The company expects to reach individuals across the company's vastly rural service territories in the coming days. Linemen must repair transmission and main feeder lines before going from house-to-house to restore individual service.
Greatest hit by the storm was Dodge City, where more than 11,000 Aquila customers were without service early Saturday. Most service was back on by Sunday afternoon, and linemen continued to battle the cold and ice to restore service to the 1,200 Dodge City-area customers still without electrical service at 11 a.m. today. Other communities devastated by the weather and loss of electricity included Liberal, Ness City, Plainville and adjoining communities. Also of concern are individual rural customers throughout the sprawling southwest Kansas plains.
Also related to the storm and sub-freezing temperatures, approximately 530 Aquila natural gas customers in Satanta, Kan., lost natural gas service Monday afternoon after liquids froze in the third-party supply line to Satanta. Aquila owns and operates the local distribution system, which connects the community to the third-party supply line.
"It certainly speaks to the magnitude of the storm and ice situation that it would impact both electricity and natural gas service," said Chuck Loomis, Aquila's vice president for Kansas and Colorado natural gas operations.
Aquila natural gas service personnel from across southwest Kansas arrived to assist in the door-to-door process of igniting pilot lights, with the first pass completed early Tuesday morning. Technicians continued to reach customers to gain access to light pilots throughout the day. That process continues.
Customers using alternative sources of heat and light should follow all the safety instructions outlined in the manufacturer's user manual to ensure proper room ventilation. People should keep a safe distance from downed power lines. Be aware that power lines that aren't sparking could still be live. Aquila customers may report a downed power line or lack of natural gas or electric service by calling the Aquila emergency service line at (800) 303-0357.
The company also suggests that all customers in outage areas place the porch light switch in the on position. Glowing porch lights signal to technicians that a customer has power, allowing personnel to bypass those homes and thus more quickly reach customers still lacking power.
Aquila provides service to more than 68,000 electric customers and 106,000 natural gas customers in Kansas. Based in Kansas City, Mo., Aquila provides natural gas and electric service to nearly 1 million customers in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Additional information is available at www.aquila.com.
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