Around Town

Power Outages Around Watertown After Sunday Thunderstorm

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Power went out for many Watertown residents Sunday afternoon after a thunderstorm rolled over the City. Eversource reports electricity should be restored by Sunday night. The outage began about 4:45 p.m. in some places and shortly after 5 p.m. in other spots and most of the outages are on the Westside of town, according to the Eversource website. UPDATE 8 p.m. Sunday: Power has been restored for all but a handful of customers. An outage affecting 423 customers was fixed before 8 p.m. and was caused due to damage by a tree limb in the area Waverley Avenue.

Around Town

Start of Eversource Transmission Line Project to Begin in June

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The following announcement was provided by Eversource:

Starting soon, Eversource’s approved contractor McCourt Construction will begin working in local streets in Waltham, Watertown, and the Allston/Brighton neighborhood of Boston to install a new transmission line by way of reconductoring. Work in local streets will be starting in June instead of late May of this year. 

Reconductoring is minimally invasive, does not require full in-street excavation along the entire route and mainly happens at manhole locations. The entire project is expected to last roughly 24 months and people and businesses near manhole and piper repair locations can expect to see Eversource crews intermittently throughout the life of the project. See more details in the document below:

To learn more about the project, call 1-833-836-0302 or email ProjectInfoMA@eversource.com. You can also sign up to receive routine email updates by visiting https://bit.ly/WW-B.

Around Town

Eversource Reliability Project Starting Construction in Watertown, Other Areas in May 2024

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Eversource provided the following announcement:

Start of Construction Expected in May 2024 in Waltham, Watertown, and Brighton

Starting soon, as early as the week of May 27, 2024, Eversource and its contractors will begin working in local streets in Waltham, Watertown, and the Allston/Brighton neighborhood of Boston to install a new transmission line by way of reconductoring. Reconductoring is minimally invasive, does not require full in-street excavation along the entire route and mainly happens at manhole locations. The entire project is expected to last roughly 24 months and people and businesses near manhole and piper repair locations can expect to see Eversource crews intermittently throughout the life of the project. To learn more about the project, call 1-833-836-0302 or email ProjectInfoMA@eversource.com. You can also sign up to receive routine email updates by visiting https://bit.ly/WW-B.

Around Town

Electrical Wiring Project Will Impact Traffic on North Beacon St.

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Another one of Watertown’s major roadways will have a project this year that will slow traffic. New electric lines will be installed under North Beacon Street, and could take two to three months to complete. In January, the City Council approved the petition from Eversource to install 1,612 feet of conduit for electrical wires under North Beacon. The project also includes 177 feet of conduit under Main Street and 60 feet of conduit under Pleasant Street. The photos in the petition application show roadways starting at the intersection of Pleasant Street and Main Street in Watertown Square, and going east to the intersection of North Beacon Street and Irving Street.

Around Town

Eversource to Prune Trees Near Power Lines in Watertown in January

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Department of Public Works:

Eversource, and it’s subcontractor Tree Tech, is working citywide on tree pruning around power lines throughout January. This work is necessary to maintain safe operations of the power grid and reduce future outages. Eversource expects to have 2 tree crews in town initially, then eventually increase that number to 5 crews total over the course of January. Trees are often a great addition to the landscape of any community. However, trees are the leading causes of power outages in our service territory as they are for many utilities across the country.

Government

Town Council Puts Eversource On Notice About Double Poles in Watertown

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An example of a double utility pole on Main Street in Watertown from 2016

Tired of waiting for Eversource to take action needed to remove double utility poles in Watertown, the Town Council told the utility this week it will not consider requests for Eversource projects in Town until the poles are dealt with. Every few meetings, a utility comes to the Town Council for approval to do work in Watertown, typically putting in an underground trench for wires. Tuesday, Eversource had two such requests, but one councilor brought up his frustration about the lack of action on removing double poles, particularly one problematic one in his district. When a new utility pole is installed, the old one is attached to the new one until the wires are transferred to the new one. There is an order for which wires get moved first depending on where they are on the pole, and who owns the poles.

Around Town

Eversource Eliminating Late Fees, Disconnections During COVID-19 Outbreak; Warns of Scams

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Eversources will not charge late fees or disconnect power from customers during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. “We’ve suspended disconnections, late fees and taken other steps to help customers in response to COVID-19,” Eversource announced on its website. Eversource is also offering a flexible payment plan with no down payment. Customers should also be aware of ongoing scams.

“The COVID-19 outbreak has led to an increase in scam activity. Be wary of any unsolicited calls that threaten to disconnect your utility service and that demand payment by unusual means.

Around Town

Eversource Seeks Entries for 7th Annual Student Challenge

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The following announcement was provided by Eversource:

Writing a poem, drawing a cartoon strip, or creating a superhero are just three ways Eversource is encouraging students to demonstrate their knowledge of energy efficiency. The energy company is reminding students that submissions are still being accepted for its seventh annual Student Challenge. The contest promotes energy conservation, energy efficiency and sustainability and is open to kindergarten to high school students in its Massachusetts electric communities. The deadline for registration is March 17, 2020. All entries must be received or postmarked by March 27, 2020. “From posters and poems to persuasive speeches and community projects, Massachusetts students continue to impress us year after year with their entries and ‘energy smarts,’” said Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Penni Conner.