UTILITY UPDATE: Electric meters to be replaced in phases | News | tahlequahdailypress.com

All electric meters in Tahlequah will be replaced in phases with Advanced Metering Infrastructure meters, which reduce the need for utility personnel to access backyards by sending usage information to 17 collectors being installed around the area.

Grand River Dam Authority is working with any wholesale municipal customer that wants to implement an AMI system, said Kim Dorr, assistant general manager of Tahlequah Public Works Authority. Eric Hickman, lineman, and Emmanuel Deckard, apprentice, were working on the 17 systems Oct. 24.

"These collectors collect meter information [on] the health of our system, readings, outages, partial outages, brownouts – anything to do with the electrical grid in Tahlequah," Hickman said. "They will be placed on poles at 17 locations around town."

The system is more advanced than the current TPWA meters, and all electric meters will be changed out eventually. GRDA realized there would not be one system that worked for everyone, so they chose four the wholesale municipal customer could choose from, Dorr said.

"This system also has the capability to read our water meters," Dorr said. "All of that can be collected within a 15-minute time period. We hope it will benefit our customers if GRDA were to implement a 'time of day' or a 'time of use' rate in the future."

Installing the 17 AMIs on poles around the area is the start of the process, Dorr said.

"It will also cut down having meter readers in backyards, because they can be read from the office," Hickman said.

A few will still have to be read manually, especially water meters, Dorr said.

"We will know house-by-house where the outages are, too," said David Lindsey, director of Special Services.

Especially during the summer months, customers call TPWA with reports that their usage is high, and nine times out of 10, it comes down to use of air conditioning or lack of insulation, Hickman said.

"It's hard to relay that to the customer, but now, we can show them exactly what they are using," Hickman said.

Across the U.S., developments are beginning to move the electrical grid underground, but Dorr said the typical municipal utility still has a lot of overhead lines because it is more expensive to go underground.

"Some people want underground and will pay for that, like the Cherokee Nation is putting it underground in their 40-home subdivision on Allen Road," Dorr said. "We are doing new sewer, water and electric for the [next phase of the subdivision]."

The renovation of Sequoyah High School requires the movement of electric and sewer lines and upgrading the water lines, Dorr said. At the new Chick-fil-A location, TPWA brought the sewer line to the location and upgraded the water line.

The water tanks off of Keetoowah Street are going to be renovated, too, Lindsey said.

"We have to repaint them every 20-30 years," Lindsey said. "We did Wheeler Addition, and the next one is over by the old dump, and the one by Tenkiller."

Some of the water storage systems are tanks and the ones on towers are spheroids. A dive team goes into the tanks and a robot inspects them for debris and rust spots. The reports help TPWA to prioritize the renovations.

"They drain them, clean them out, sandblast everything off the inside, and use an Environmental Protection Agency-approved paint for water use," Lindsey said.

Northeast Oklahoma Public Facilities Authority has completed two major projects to relocate gas lines along State Highway 82 North and 82 South, said General Manager Jim Reagan.

"There's going to be at least three roundabouts on 82 South," Reagan said.

In conjunction with Oklahoma Department of Transportation, NOPFA will be relocating natural gas lines along State Highway 59, north of Stilwell. This is phase one, and the line is being upgraded from a 6-inch to an 8-inch line, Reagan said.

"That's on Highway 59 between Stilwell and Westville – six miles of 8-inch pipe that we have to relocate," Reagan said. "We just got the materials approved for it, which was $708,000, and the labor is out to bid."

NOPFA's portion of the material costs is $134,000, Reagan said.

On State Highway 100 in Adair County, NOPFA is relocating the gas line for a road-widening project by ODOT.

A new natural gas contract was approved at a price of $3.75, lower than the current one of $3.89, Reagan said.

Reagan said with the seasons changing, residents need to be aware of efforts they can make to conserve energy and thus save money.

Keep rooms warm, not hot, and when possible wear additional layers of closing, and check the programmable settings on thermostats. Seal leaks around doors and windows, or cover with towels, sheets or plastic to help keep warm air in the home. In basements, seal leaks, and add an airtight door to the fireplace.

Reducing the temperature on the water heater to 120 degrees, or putting it on the "warm" setting, can reduce energy costs. If the home is going to be vacant for a period of time, set the dial to the pilot position for more savings.

Close blinds and curtains to keep warm air inside, especially if the sun isn't shining. Open drapes on the south side of the home if the sun is shining. Changing filters on a furnace can lower energy consumption by 5%-15%.

Put off doing chores like laundry or washing dishes during extreme cold weather to save on energy bills, and if it isn't possible to wait, use cold settings. Cut down on energy loss around switches and outlets by installing foam gaskets. Change the rotation of ceiling fans to clockwise to push the warm air down.

Never use an oven or stove for heating a home, and make sure nothing is obstructing the furnace's air intake, and vents and flues are intact and unblocked. This can help avoid the potential of carbon dioxide poisoning.

Leave cabinet doors open, especially those on exterior walls, to reduce the risk of frozen pipes.

"This will help with prices spiking," Reagan said. "When that price spikes [customers] don't realize it's spiking until they get their bill."

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