Leave the Tree Trimming to Us
Trees and reliable electric service are both important to our community. Unfortunately, the two aren't always compatible, and Klickitat PUD must trim trees for safety purposes, as required by law, and to avoid service interruptions.
Trees end up causing a majority of the power outages and interruptions that affect KPUD customers. Tree limbs can fall into power lines and cause damage to wires, short circuits and other problems. This creates potential danger for you and your property. This danger can be avoided by not planting tall-growing trees under or near electric wires.
According to the Revised Code of Washington, (RCW), any time a potential threat exists that could cause damage to electric facilities from trees and vegetation, an electric utility is required to remove the hazard. Klickitat PUD’s policy further clarifies that, any limb within ten feet of distribution electrical lines and twenty-three feet of transmission lines will be cut back.
To assure that proper tree trimming and removal is performed, Klickitat PUD employs a professional tree-trimming crew that also includes a certified arborist. He also helps determine if the trees are diseased, dead or dying and, depending on the proximity of tree to electric facilities, if complete removal is required.
It is essential that tree trimming be done properly to ensure safe and dependable electric service. Provision of right-of-way easements grants Klickitat PUD the authority to trim trees to provide for a safe and reliable electric system.
Call Klickitat PUD at 509-773-5891 or 1-800-548-8357 if you have trees that are getting dangerously close to power lines. Cutting branches near an overhead line is NOT for do-it-yourselfers. Klickitat PUD crews are trained to work safely around live power lines.
Check out the Klickitat PUD Tree Trimming Procedure