DUNCAN – Duncan is taking steps to restore the city’s underground power lines, part of the electricity department’s five-year plan for improving the system.
The Duncan City Council voted unanimously April 23 to accept a bid from the Georgia-based company Southwire Co., which will do the work for about $800,000.
Southwire uses a cable injection process to extend the life of underground residential distribution and mainline feeder cable, the company said in a March 12 letter to the city. The process introduces silicone fluid into power cable strands, which migrates into the conductor shield and insulation to reinforce the breakdown strength of the insulation and prevent future water.
“Specialized connectors allow silicone fluid to be injected into the power cable strands,” the company said. “The time-released nature of the injection process allows long-term delivery of the functional materials so that rejuvenation not only reverses the failure trend of installed cable but outperforms cable replacement in the long term.”