Pole Inspections Begin in Barton County

Global Utility Services, an authorized contractor for Midwest Energy, begins pole inspections of Midwest Energy poles Monday in rural Barton County on Monday, Jan. 8.

Global Utility Services crews will begin inspecting poles east of Hoisington, and will work their way east to Geneseo.  Once complete, they will begin working in rural Rice County north and south of Lyons, before heading into Pawnee County. 

Pole inspections include digging around the base of a pole to determine the extent of any wood rot or insect damage.  Next, a core sample is drilled to test the density of the wood.  The base of the pole is then treated, and the pole is inventoried and tagged.  Midwest Energy inspects each pole on a roughly 14-year cycle.  Periodic pole inspections help Midwest Energy identify and replace the weakest poles in its system before they fail, potentially preventing future outages.  

Global Utility Services crews will travel in vehicles bearing Midwest Energy contractor markings.  Employees will also display photo identification, indicating they’re contractors with Midwest Energy.  Questions regarding pole inspections should be directed to Midwest Energy at 1-800-222-3121.