Related News
Related News
-
EWEB opens application for 2024 Electric Mobility Community Grants
Grant awards of up to $30,000 to cover costs associated with electric mobility projects.
Find Out More -
The Big Freeze 2024: After Action Report
Winter 2024 was one for the records books, and we'll look back on it for years to come and say, "That was a doozy!" The back-to-back January Ice Storms caused widespread damage to EWEB’s service territory, affecting approximately 38,000 customers. Preliminary repair costs were over $8 million, and additional repairs to transmission lines are still required.
Find Out More -
Fixing the Unseen: Water Pipeline Replacement in Unincorporated Eugene
Learn more about EWEB's methods for monitoring and replacing aged water pipelines.
Find Out More -
New tanks come online as EWEB modernizes water system
New drinking water storage tanks are one of several investments to ensure that EWEB can meet critical community needs in the event of an earthquake.
Find Out More -
Celebrate Earth Month by taking charge of your home's energy use
This Earth Month, learn how you can reduce your energy usage to help protect our planet and reduce carbon emissions.
Find Out More -
Spring Cleaning? How about Spring Emergency Preparedness!
Spring is officially here and that means the plants are blooming, the sun is (sometimes) shining, and the grass is green! We've had our fair share of severe weather already, but spring weather is notoriously unpredictable. While you're in the midst of spring cleaning and garden care, consider completing these emergency preparedness tasks.
Find Out More -
EWEB General Manager Delivers 2024 State of the Utility
General Manager Frank Lawson delivered his address at the March 5 public Board of Commissioners meeting
Find Out More -
Nine days without power: My ice storm story as an EWEB customer and employee
While beautiful and peaceful, buying a home on the edge of the forest and surrounded by trees has its tradeoffs. Moving “upriver,” I knew there would be more threats to prepare for, including Mother Nature’s seasonal surprises.
Find Out More -
EWEB achieves power restoration milestone over the weekend
Crews have so far restored power for 92% of customers who originally lost power at the height of the ice storm.
Find Out More -
Reenergized McKenzie River Valley transmission lines allow EWEB crews to restore power upriver
On Friday, a majority of EWEB crews tackled power restoration efforts upriver, after federally managed transmission lines were reenergized Thursday.
Find Out More -
EWEB estimates one week to complete power system restoration
On Wednesday, EWEB crews restored power for about 10,000 customers by repairing large equipment first.
Find Out More -
Second round of ice and ensuing thaw prompt mass power outages
On Wednesday, all EWEB crews, who have been working nonstop since Saturday, traversed EWEB’s service territory assessing the damage and restoring transmission lines and main power feeders.
Find Out More -
Power restored at EWEB’s water treatment plant
Crews restored electric power at EWEB's Hayden Bridge Water Filtration Plant Monday evening, allowing operators to switch off the generators and rely again on the grid. Meanwhile, EWEB crews brace for additional outages amidst second round of ice and during the coming thaw.
Find Out More -
EWEB crews focusing on restoring electric service for Hayden Bridge Water Filtration Plant
With more ice forecasted for Tuesday, all EWEB crews are in the field assessing outages and restoring power.
Find Out More -
EWEB crews making downed lines safe and restoring power across Eugene and the foothills
As EWEB works to restore electric service to customers affected by the ice storm, the customer-owned utility is following established policies and its “hierarchy of repair” to prioritize repairs that restore electric service to the greatest number of customers.
Find Out More - Show More
Crews Resume Smart Meter Installations
June 19, 2020
As crews restart system reliability work, EWEB is also resuming route-based deployment for smart electric and water meters as a part of our gradual and responsible return to normal operations.
To support utility and community goals regarding energy and water usage and resiliency, we began upgrading electric and water meters by meter reading route in the fall of 2018.
Route-based deployment for smart electric meters has been on pause since late fall of 2019 to allow for additional work on communication infrastructure. The pause also provided opportunity for project staff to evaluate processes and procedures. The installation of smart water meters was paused in March of this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
With EWEB's slow and steady return to work underway and some recently completed process improvement work, both utilities are set to resume meter upgrades this month.
Prior to the pandemic, the water utility was on track for an end of 2023 completion with a pace of about 250 installations per week. As installations resume, the target has been reduced by 50 per week as each installation is likely to require additional time while crews are following new safety guidelines.
Luke Moran, Water Distribution Monitoring and Compliance Supervisor, also adds that prior to the pandemic, targets were being met in part due to shared staffing resources across departments. In an effort to reduce the spread of the virus, EWEB is taking care to keep crews in different departments from overlapping. As we resume, we do so with fewer staff performing the installations.
"As we continue reintegration of the workforce, we expect we will be able to increase the pace on the water side, back to the average 250 a week needed to meet the 2023 goal," says Luke.
Smart electric meter installations have been on pause since before the pandemic which provided staff time to reevaluate processes and procedures. Resuming a small number of installations supports the "plan-do-check-act" continuous improvement model as staff evaluates the efficacy of the process changes.
"We learned a lot in the first year of meter installations," says Jon Thomas, Project Manager. "Rather than continuing to push forward, it was important we took a small pause to see where adjustments were needed. This helps ensure staff are working as efficiently as possible and that the end result helps us reach our goals of putting more choice and control in the hands of EWEB customers."
With the organization operating under new health and safety guidelines to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the safety of staff and the community is top priority as we ease back into customer-facing field work.
"We recently changed some language in the automated calls and on the website requesting customers maintain social distance with our crews. A lot of folks get curious and want to come ask questions; it's important that be done at a safe distance," says Jon. "We've also reminded staff to follow some basic safety guidelines, like to use hand sanitizer before and after providing the courtesy door knock, or leaving a door hanger," he adds.
Resuming smart meter installation is just one example of EWEB's gradual and responsible return to the work needed to reach organizational and community objectives. The public can help promote a safe work environment by not approaching utility crews in the field or entering their work zones. For everyone's health and safety, please be sure to maintain appropriate physical distancing of six feet if you happen to encounter EWEB crews in the field.