Taiwan Power Company Urges Against Burying Manhole Covers in 5 Key Areas to Expedite Emergency Repairs

Taipei, July 2 (CNA) Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) has buried 30% of its manhole covers underground to comply with local road leveling projects. However, Taipower points out that emergency repairs for sudden incidents require 3.5 hours to raise the covers. To balance daily inspections and electricity demand, Taipower suggests keeping manhole covers at road level in five major areas: the first connection point of power equipment, cable joint locations, within 200 meters of substations, major traffic routes, and gas stations.

Taipower's distribution system has over 1.05 million manhole covers. As of the end of last year, 30% of these covers nationwide were buried underground, with the rate exceeding 50% in northern metropolitan areas. Taipower stated that while burying manhole covers makes roads tidier, it impacts equipment maintenance and power restoration efficiency.

Lin Hsing-wang, a section chief at Taipower's Distribution Department, explained that emergency repairs for distribution accidents require lengthy procedures, including applying for permits from road authorities, dispatching equipment, locating the manhole, and excavation. Furthermore, buried manhole covers prevent regular inspections, making it difficult to detect issues like termite nests in a timely manner.

Taipower cited an underground cable failure and power outage incident in Zhonghe District on April 24 this year as an example. Because the manhole covers were buried, the process involved applying for road permits and dispatching equipment for excavation before the covers could be raised to allow for pipe repair and cable replacement. The entire power restoration operation took over 20 hours.

Lin Hsing-wang mentioned that to meet the electricity demands of users, businesses, and public facilities, as well as for system expansion, improvements, daily inspections, and emergency repairs, Taipower recommends that manhole covers remain at road level in five key areas: the first connection point of power equipment, cable joint locations, within 200 meters of substations, major traffic routes, and gas stations.

Taipower explained that areas with power equipment connections and cable joints are prone to insulation degradation due to concentrated heat sources and require regular opening of manhole covers for inspection and maintenance. Substations and their surrounding areas have dense lines and supply numerous users, so having manhole covers facilitates faster personnel access for emergency repairs and power restoration. Major traffic routes like intersections and bridge approaches experience high traffic volume; keeping manhole covers at road level will significantly reduce road closures and excavation time for emergency repairs, protecting the rights of road users. Gas stations, due to the potential accumulation of marsh gas or flammable gases underground, benefit from having manhole covers nearby to allow for moderate gas dissipation.

Liu Chun-nan, deputy director of Taipower's North-South Regional Office, stated that while the public highly values road flatness, Taipower also places great importance on it. Therefore, Taipower continuously requires contractors to ensure the quality of manhole cover installations and conducts regular inspections every six months. If any damage or unevenness is found, personnel are dispatched immediately for improvement.

Liu Chun-nan added that there is a new reinforcement method for circular cut manhole covers. Although its cost is higher than square cuts, it distributes stress evenly, is less prone to damage, and uses different backfill material, resulting in better anti-skid and wear resistance. This circular cut manhole cover reinforcement method will be gradually promoted in the future.

Taipower emphasized that it will continue to communicate and coordinate with local authorities. Through regular inspections and the promotion of the circular cut manhole cover reinforcement method, Taipower aims to enhance the safety of road manhole covers. (Editor: Yang Lan-hsuan) 1150702