By Chad Feehan
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
December 8, 2023 Edition
Mount Pearl council has approved a request from Newfoundland Power to power homes on Moffat Road overhead from the rear of the lot, while powering street lighting underground in the front.
Previously, streetlights have usually been powered overhead.
Newfoundland Power says it will be only servicing lots from the street in all subsequent developments, but in the case of Moffat Road, rear servicing was the only option.
Councillor Mark Rice made the motion to allow the design.
Engineering director Gerry Antle explained Newfoundland Power prefers streetside, underground service because it’s more convenient for maintenance and the equipment is protected from the elements.
Director Antle’s department is concerned with identifying any possible conflicts between Newfoundland Power’s underground utilities with that of the City’s underground infrastructure such as water and sewer lines.
“Our preference would be to try to avoid those conflicts,” Antle said. “We would prefer that the Newfoundland Power lines are overhead, and we keep our services underground.”
As heavy winds whipped through the city at the time of the meeting, Councillor Jim Locke asked if advanced planning for the to-be-developed Northlands will allow for underground service to avoid being affected by the elements.
“Given the climate changes that we’re seeing and the increased frequency and intensity of such episodes outside today, I just think it would be prudent if we went underground,” he said.
Mayor Dave Aker referenced instances where homes around Power’s Pond and Newtown Elementary could not get new cables installed because of the increased cost of underground maintenance, and wondered if all utility providers could work together in an ongoing partnership.
Director Antle explained that a partnership is the only way work of this manner gets done, and that managing risks such as repairing water and sewer lines in the presence of underground power is the primary concern.
“There’s a risk that you’re taking with it being underground,” he said.
The motion regarding Moffatt Road was carried unanimously after council agreed to discuss the servicing of ongoing housing developments sometime in the future.
“We just want to make sure we don’t get stuck with housing that's not fully serviced,” said Aker.
