Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/535416
2 JULY 1-7, 2015 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM National Smart Irrigation Month July is traditionally the month of peak demand for water for lawns and gardens. You can save money on your bill by doing the following: • Install a rain sensor which helps prevent unnec- essary watering by overriding your sprinkler controls when rainfall is detected. PWC is offering an incentive (up to $50) for new rain sensor installs. Visit our website for details. • Water in the early morning, between 4am and 8am when the sun is low and winds are calm. • Follow PWC's year-round outdoor watering schedule. Even address water Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Odd addresses on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. PWC's Outage Restoration Plan Hi, I'm Kyle and I'm on the Tree Trimming crew at the Public Works Commission. Fayetteville PWC trims trees year-round to increase reliability and for safety. That's because tree limbs and branches are among the most common causes of power outages. Line Clearance/Vegetation Management is an essential part of power line maintenance at PWC, and we're responsible for pruning undesired veg- etation from right-of-ways of overhead power lines. PWC routinely surveys, plans, and performs the maintenance work necessary to clear power lines. If you need to report a vegetation problem that in- volves interference with power lines or water/sewer lines call us at 910-483-1382. You can also submit the information online through "My PWC Account Manager." Remember, only specially trained professionals should trim vegetation near power lines! Inside PWC: Tree Trimming for Safety Keep Bills Low as Temperatures Rise Summer brings high temperatures and cooling bills. Here's how you can stay comfortable without spending a lot: * Seal cracks around doors and windows to prevent warm air from leaking into your home. * Use window coverings during the day to block the sun's rays. * Use fans as much as possible, instead of your A/C. * Replace air filters often to keep your A/C running efficiently. * Turn off uncessary lights. * Set your daytime thermostat at 78 degrees or higher. You'll cut cooling costs 5 to 10 percent for every two degree increment. * Appliances create heat. Run them at night when temperatures are lower. * Prepare cold meals, like salads and sandwhiches. Find more ways to save at faypwc.com Kyle M. Fayetteville PWC Tree Trimming Crew When a major power outage happens, many of our customers have the same question in mind: When is the power coming back on? When we experience utility outages, Fayetteville PWC crews work around the clock to restore services as quickly as possible to all our customers. Our goal is to safely restore services to the greatest number of customers in the shortest time possible. While damage to the Transmission System (where high voltage power is received from the generation source) isn't likely, when it does occur, it can affect tens of thousands of homes and businesses. Under our power restoration plan, organizations that provide essential services do get priority. These include hospitals, any facilities used as disaster shelters, and public safety facilities including fire and police stations. The next step is to check for damage at our Substations. That's where the voltage is reduced to a level safe for distribution. PWC operates more than 30 local substations, and each substation serves thousands of custom- ers. Repairing damage at this level usually means restoring power to a large number of people. Our crews then proceed to repair any damage to the Customer Distribution System, which includes: Main "Feeder" Lines, "Lateral" or "Tap" Lines and Service Lines. Repairing the Customer Distribution System is based on safety concerns and restoring power to the greatest number of people. In general, we repair the main feeder lines first, followed by the lateral and service lines. If your power outage is caused by damage between the line to your home and the service installation, it is the customer's responsibility to have an electrician repair the damage before PWC can restore power. To learn more about how PWC crews respond to power outages visit our website!