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Water and Light staff report: spare transformer parts, Lift Station fiber work and quick response to Highway 2 truck crash
Summary
Staff reported arrival of an industrial-park spare transformer bushing, work to reserve utility easements during a city replat, fiber planning for Lift Station 13 and a rapid outage response after a truck tipped on Highway 2 that pushed a switch off Circuit 3.
Staff at the East Grand Forks Water and Light Commission meeting on March 19 provided multiple operations updates, including equipment deliveries, utility easement planning, fiber access work and an outage response after a highway crash.
Electric department staff reported the industrial park substation spare bushing arrived March 13, about a week ahead of schedule. Staff are coordinating long-term covered storage for the part and expect invoicing to close out the 2024 equipment and materials account once charges are approved. The department said roughly 25% of 2025 equipment and material purchases have been received so far.
Staff also said they are assisting city staff with electrical easements related to recent replats and floodplain purchases. Ron Golstad told commissioners the city is preparing to vacate unused streets and easements in replatted floodplain areas and that he is working to make sure the utility department reserves needed rights-of-way and easements before vacating those areas.
On a separate infrastructure item, staff described work to provide fiber access to Lift Station 13 as part of a 2025 remodeling project so future communications can be installed in that building.
Operations staff recounted an incident Saturday morning on Highway 2 in which a truck tipped into the ditch and knocked a switch off that runs Circuit 3. Police called the utility about the incident at approximately 6:58 a.m.; crews performed switching to minimize outage exposure, returned in the afternoon to isolate and remove the damaged switch, cleaned the equipment, and inspected wiring. Staff reported one nick in a wire that was sealed with Aquaseal and that service was returned.
Staff also said they received some six‑inch ultrasonic meters ordered in 2024 and are shipping units to two customer sites (a beef processing facility and the city campground) this week, and that an early chiller start at a local facility (“Crystal”) temporarily increased load when the operator started their systems ahead of schedule.
Commissioners did not take formal action on these items; the reports were accepted for the record.
