Cross Street substation has Ferndale residents frustrated
FERNDALE – The substation has been a cause of concern for the residents of Cross Street as it is the cause of most power outages and does not have a door.
Residents of Cross Street are on a short fuse due to a mini substation that has given them more stress than relief.
Pierre van Wyk, who heads the Ferndale Ridge Residents Group said residents have had ongoing issues with the substation that is situated between Surrey and Main avenues.
One of the many issues is that the substation is missing the door that encloses the fuses and residents have struggled for about three years with City Power to have the matter dealt with.
Van Wyk said he was told by Ward 102 councillor David Potter that there was no stock of doors for this substation as it was an old one.
“The problem is that this is a danger to anyone that walks past and especially the children, they could put their hands in there and they would be face to face with about 400 volts,” he said. “Another problem is because it is being left open, we also have problems with fuse thefts.
Van Wyk said he was also told by City Power that they did not have enough stock of fuses.
“So they have to bridge the fuse with a piece of wire, which is a major safety hazard because should there be a cable fault, the substation will blow up.”
The residents feel City Power has done nothing to resolve this issue and now they are getting desperate because they recently had another outage that lasted close to a week when one of the fuses was stolen.
Carrie Mercado, founder of Crest School said the outages were an irritation as they affected their ability to work effectively as a school.
“Some children with low vision also struggle when there is little light, this problem has been getting progressively worse,” she said.
Potter added, “City Power has in the past attempted to board up where a door(s) should go but this is short-lived.”
He said the matter would be escalated to City Power management, however, the substation would likely be run until the end of its lifespan and then replaced at great cost, but in the meantime, it should be secured.
Residents were willing to build a palisade fence, at their own cost, around the mini substation.
Potter said such a request would need to be in writing to his office which he would then propose to City Power for their approval.
Residents are encouraged to report matters to City Power by visiting citypower.mobi or calling 011 375 5555, and if issues are not resolved to escalate it to their ward councillor.
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