Middle Bench Rd./Westminster Ave. residents face outages

Photo: Contributed

Some Penticton residents will face a day-long power outage this Saturday.

The first of three separate rounds of outages to the city’s electric utility is now underway.

This first round runs until April 2 and is comprised of nine separate outages.

Residents on portions of Middle Bench Road and Westminster Ave. will be affected March 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

“Some residents in the affected areas have expressed concern about these outages and whether or not they are needed in light of the requirements for people to stay home,” said mayor John Vassilaki. “I can assure you that these outages are absolutely necessary and we are encouraging affected residents to be prepared.”

The outages are needed to complete the conversion of the city’s distribution system to a common 12kV voltage and will continue through to May 6. 

Schedules and maps for each round of outages can be here.

“The City has been gradually moving to a common distribution system for the past ten years and these outages are the final steps in the conversion,” said general manager of infrastructure Mitch Moroziuk. “This consistency throughout the city will increase the system’s capacity to handle larger loads and provide the flexibility needed to restore power during emergencies.”

Residents with questions can contact the Electric Utility department at 250-490-2535.