IAMU Informer
Follow IAMU!
  • Informer News Feed
  • IAMU Website

Warning About Copper Theft

8/25/2021

0 Comments

 
​Last weekend, the Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative (NIPCO) and its member cooperative Western Iowa Power Cooperative (WIPCO) fell victim to copper theft.
 
The theft occurred Friday, Aug. 20 between 10 and 11 p.m. Four distribution substations and one transmission switching station in Monona County were vandalized. In each case, vandals cut through locked gates and mesh fencing to gain access to the substation equipment where they stripped copper grounding wire attached to the electric componentry and system. This resulted in SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) alarms and calls from passersby who said they saw electrical arcing/fire and open gates and fencing. While electric power was able to be re-routed to prevent outages, all sites required extensive repair to restore normal operations. Two substation sites received major damage, which will require more time to assess and repair.
 
Copper theft isn’t just criminal; it can be deadly. Copper thefts can cause power surges, outages, fires, explosions, and injuries to workers or innocent people coming into contact with tampered equipment.
 
Fortunately, in this case, no personal injuries to any WIPCO or NIPCO crews occurred, and minimal power outages were reported. All power related to this vandalism has been restored.
 
Report any suspicious activities in or around substations or other equipment, such as transformers, power poles, or even a meter at a residence, farm, or business. 
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

      Subscribe To The Informer

      You can subscribe to The Informer by adding the RSS feed to your feed reader. Or, to request to be added to our weekly email blast, provide your information below.  NOTE-you must be an IAMU member (utility, affiliate, or associate) to receive the email blast.
    Submit

    Archives

    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

    RSS Feed

Picture

Copyright 2018 Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities