City Light uncovers more electrically charged streetlights

Seattle City Light has found 21 streetlights giving off potentially dangerous voltage since it began inspections last month after a dog was electrocuted on Thanksgiving.

The latest report was Wednesday, when City Light found nine streetlights with reported contact voltage. Four others were found Tuesday.

Other than the dog's death resulting from one such pole, there have been no injuries.

Last month City Light hired two companies to help it test all 20,000 metal streetlight poles and 10,000 ground cover plates to see if they have faulty wiring that could cause dangerous voltage problems. City Light's service area stretches from Lake Forest Park to Tukwila.

City Light said a pinched wire and improper grounding caused the dog's death when it stepped on an energized ground plate in Queen Anne.

City Light spokeswoman Suzanne Hartman said City Light asked utilities around the country about their experiences with contact-voltage issues and learned that typically one in 337 streetlights could have problems. Based on that average, City Light could have as many as 60 poles with similar problems.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com