Areas of Northville, including City Hall, were affected by loss of electricity for brief periods throughout the day on Monday, July 1. Around 6:50 p.m., the traffic lights on 8 Mile and Center Street and in downtown Northville went out, but were functioning again within a short time. With temperatures in the ‘90s, there was high demand for electricity.
A DTE representative said there were some underground wiring problems and blown fuses on the circuits, which contributed to the sporadic outages.
According to the utility’s website, DTE power lines are protected with devices that function like a household circuit breaker. When an incident occurs, the devices isolate the problem and are able to localize an outage and prevent damage to the line. The device then performs a function similar to resetting a circuit breaker, safely restoring power to the line within moments.
The website notes that these brief outages, while inconvenient, actually prevent more serious power problems.
Sustained outages are planned or accidental total losses of power in a localized area of the community. These types of outages usually last more than five minutes. A sustained outage may be caused by storms, accidents or equipment damage. Sometimes it’s necessary for DTE to intentionally interrupt service to safely perform equipment repairs and maintenance. Customers are notified in advance of a planned interruption whenever possible.
With summer storms a common occurrence, you may want to review your emergency plan for power outages. Visit the DTE website to find tips. The utility provides an outage map on a separate website. If power goes out in your neighborhood, make sure to notify DTE.
Recycleoftenrecycleright.com