A Look at the Underground Utility Systems of Seattle City Light

The utility service tends to a population of over 906,000 people living in a 131 square mile area, which includes the City of Seattle and several adjoining jurisdictions. Below the surface, there is an intricate web of tunnels that help transport a delicate balance of utilities amongst the buildings that make up the Emerald City. All the while, keeping harmony with the tunnels used to transport trains, cars, and the people inside them, underground.  

While the city prides itself on such a sufficient system, it isn't immune to problems. Running the electrical cables under the city helps protect the system from mischievous critters and humans- but our region’s soils are wet and acidic enough to erode the bare wires laid down in the 70's and 80's, before the decision was made to enclose them in any type of protection.

There's also the issue- of finding the issue. In a Seattle Times interview with Fiel Diaz, a crew chief of Seattle City Light; it was explained, "You dig up the middle of a shorted line, determine which side the short is on, dig at its midpoint … and so on and so on, until you find the short — an electrical Zeno’s paradox."

1985 Seattle City Light Power System

Several of PowerStudies' jobs have taken place in the city of Seattle and surrounding areas, where Seattle City Light has provided the utility fault current we need in order to complete our studies. Click here to learn more about some of PowerStudie’s projects!