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 Protecting Our Power Lines Seattle City Light's Power Line Clearance Program provides our customers with reliable power in an environmentally responsible and safe way. Year round, City Light employees and contractor crews work to maintain reliable electric service by clearing branches, limbs and fallen trees away from power lines. There are more than 300,000 trees in our service area that may grow or fall into the lines which can cause damage to the electrical system and interrupt electricity to your home or business. These trees require proper trimming. The distance a tree is trimmed depends on the type of tree and power line voltage. Our service area is an urban environment serving Seattle, Burien, Lake Forest Park, Shoreline and portions of Normandy Park, Renton, Seatac, Tukwila and Unincorporated King County. Our contractor, Asplundh Tree Experts, specializes in utility line clearance. Under the direction of City Light, they perform the trimming to keep the lines clear. Seattle City Light uses pruning standards approved by the International Society of Arboriculture which meet safety requirements of both federal and state laws. These standards reduce the frequency and amount each tree must be pruned. Note: Seattle City Light customers are expected to keep the line drop from pole to home or other buildings clear of trees and obstructions. Safety Tips
Under emergency conditions, if a tree has caused an outage or poses an imminent safety hazard, trimming work may be done immediately and a door hanger left at the end of the job. Seattle City Light's public notification process and outreach includes informing both adjacent property owners and the local neighborhood of planned tree trimming. Before pruning work begins, a Seattle City Light representative will:
Why do you trim trees from power lines? Nearly one-third of power outages can be traced to tree interference. Seattle City Light trims trees to promote reliable electrical service and to maintain a safe environment. Trees that grow into the power lines can cause problems in three ways:
The amount we trim is based on three things:
City Light tree trimming diagrams for single-phase distribution power-line tree clearance:
Our goal is to keep your tree alive, healthy and out of harm's way. City Light has certified arborists in the field and in-house. They are directly involved with pruning the trees to ensure that proper pruning techniques are used to preserve the health of the trees. Our contracted crews are required to work according to approved standards to ensure the health and well-being of the trees. They are trained and certified annually to trim trees from power lines. The pruning methods we use are endorsed by the International Society of Arboriculture. Although the initial trim with the directional pruning technique may appear severe, this method is recommended over topping or rounding-over trees. Directional-pruned trees are less susceptible to disease and insect problems, and the overall structure of the tree is stronger, more resistant to high winds and heavy ice. Directional pruning removes only those branches that pose a threat to power lines. Future growth is directed away from the power lines. How will I know if City Light is going to trim my tree? Before pruning work begins, a City Light representative will knock on the door of homes and buildings adjacent to the tree trimming area to give notice about the upcoming trimming work. If no one is there, they will leave a door hanger with tree trimming information and a contact phone number. However, under emergency conditions, if a tree has caused an outage or poses an imminent safety hazard, the work may be done immediately and the customer notified following the job. For large projects, City Light will place a tree trimming notice in the local neighborhood newspaper and notify the district neighborhood council. A Utility representative will provide information at meetings upon request. For large projects, City Light will place a tree trimming notice in the local neighborhood newspaper and notify the district neighborhood council. A Utility representative will provide information at meetings upon request. Why don't you trim less off the tree and come back more often? Wouldn't this prevent badly shaped trees andtrees in the lines? Our service territory covers 131.31 square miles. We are working towards a 4-year trimming cycle. Any increases to that schedule would require more crews than have been authorized by the City Council. My trees aren't touching the lines, why do you have to trim them? We consider several factors when determining whether to trim a tree. Will strong winds cause the tree to make contact with the wires? Will movement in the wires, such as sagging due to high temperatures, cause the wires to contact the tree? Although your trees may not be touching the wires now, we plan ahead for potential problems. Can I trim my own trees? State and federal safety regulations require that anyone working within 10 feet of a high-voltage electrical line must have proper training and certification. Most private tree companies do not meet this requirement. Before these companies can prune or remove trees, City Light must first trim the trees to minimize or eliminate the risk of branches falling into the lines. This is for your safety. The power lines that run from pole to pole carry high-voltage electricity. Each year, a number of amateur tree trimmers are seriously injured or killed when they come into contact with an energized line directly or indirectly through tools or tree limbs. Poles, ladders and elevated lifts can easily provide a dangerous electrical path if they make contact with an energized line. By trimming your own trees, you may be putting yourself in a dangerous position. We recommend that you hire a professional service and that you check with City Light before beginning. Do you trim trees from the wire that runs from the pole to my house? City Light trims trees located between poles. Maintaining clearance around the service drop (the wires that run from the pole to the home) is the property owner's responsibility. This is not a high-voltage line; however we recommend that you hire a professional service to do the trimming. Seattle City Light will provide a 24-hour disconnect so that this work can be done safely. Following are contact numbers for requesting this service.
When do you remove trees? If the tree poses a hazard to safety and property, or if trimming will undermine the health and overall stability of the tree, we work with the property owner to remove it. Unless there is an emergency, we will contact you in person or in writing before removing a tree from your property. With city-owned trees, we contact your local government. Customers sometimes ask us to remove a tree rather than trim it. We evaluate these requests on a case-by-case basis. In some situations, we will remove the tree. Under what circumstances can you enter my yard and trim my trees? As an electrical utility, we are responsibile to maintain our system and to protect the health, safety and general welfare of the public. Customers must allow access to their property at reasonable hours to inspect, maintain and repair the electrical system. We would notify you at least one week in advance, before coming onto your property unless there was an immediate and present emergency involving a tree on your property or entangled in overhead wires that cross your property. Do you remove the debris after you trim? Normally our power-line clearance contractor removes tree limbs and the debris we create. The logs are cut into fireplace lengths and left by the right-of-way. Generally, cut logs are left for the public, if the customer does not want it. They will remove the logs upon request. When tree debris is caused by a severe storm, we do not always remove it. Our crews must work quickly to remove hazardous downed wires and make repairs to restore power to thousands of customers. In these situations, our crews cut broken and uprooted trees so they can access the damaged area to make repairs. Brush and wood may be left at the site so that they can proceed with other restoration work. Typically, the City and County make allowances for after-storm debris disposal that their solid waste facilities. How do I request wood chips? You can request wood chips from our contractor, Asplundh Tree Experts Company at (425) 483-9339. If the chips are available and Asplundh is in your neighborhood, they will deliver wood chips to you. You must be willing to accept a full dumptruck load. Trees in the lines wouldn't be a problem if you had underground lines. Why don't you put all your lines underground? There are a number of obstacles to placing all the power lines underground. Existing trees and their root systems would be impacted, undermining the health and stability of the trees. Considerable expense, time and disruption would be involved in trenching through existing road systems and landscapes. The cost of designing, engineering and installing an underground system in an established neighborhood is very high. Customers would have to pay for an underground system. In general, maintenance, repair and rebuilding underground systems are more complex and expensive because the lines and structures are buried and hidden from view and not easily accessible. Also, if there is a fire in an underground vault, our crews cannot make repairs until it is safe to enter the area. Do you have information about the right trees and shrubs to plant under the lines? Please do not plant vines, shrubs or trees directly adjacent to or on power poles. Keep all vegetation at least 10 feet away from the poles. Our crews must have quick access to climb poles when making repairs. Depending on the species, young trees mature to different heights. When you select new trees, anticipate the height and spread of the mature tree in relation to power lines.
City Light promotes the right tree in the right place. We offer a free publication, The Right Tree Book,with information on selecting and planting appropriate trees and shrubs around utility lines. To request a copy, call City Light at (206) 684-3000. Or you may print out a copy from the Urban Tree Replacement Web site. The Seattle Department of Transportation has information available about planting trees at www.seattle.gov/transportation/treeplanting.htm . Can customers request that City Light trim trees? Yes, if you notice an urgent hazard such as a broken tree limb on a pole-to-pole power line or trees in the lines with arcing and sparking, please call our Electrical Emergency Line, (206)706-0051, immediately. To report other problems with trees in powerlines (located between poles), call (206)386-1733. City Light will schedule an inspection to determine what the problem is and how it should be resolved. Who do I contact if I have tree trimming questions or issues? Call (206) 386-1733 or e-mail respond.scl@seattle.gov . A City Light employee will respond to your questions or concerns, usually within two working days. Urban Tree Replacement Program There are times when the most appropriate action is tree removal. Dead, diseased or inappropriate trees should be replaced with trees more compatible with overhead power lines. Smaller trees are healthier and more natural looking and will enhance your neighborhood environment and allow us to provide a safe, reliable service to all our customers. Seattle City Light promotes the right tree in the right place and has a neighborhood tree planting program called the Urban Tree Replacement Program. Seattle City Light also sponsors neighborhood plantings. If you would like more information on this program, call (206) 386-1902. For your free copy of "The Right Tree Book", call City Light at (206) 684-3000. Or you may view the Urban Tree Replacement Page to download and print your own copy in Adobe Acrobat (*.pdf) format. This file is in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format, and
requires Acrobat Reader for viewing, downloadable from adobe.com:
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