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Kokua Line
June Watanabe
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Cable ails, power fails, customer rails
Question: I live on 15th Avenue, between Waialae and Harding avenues. It is only a block long. On May 10 we had an electrical outage from about 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. I looked in the paper and listened to the radio, but I could not find out what happened. Do you know what caused it? There were lights around the block and all around us except this short strip. Why did the outage last so long? Why is it that we have this happen so often while all the other streets have electricity? I was on the computer at that time, but now, I have problems with the Internet and found out that my router is burned out.
Answer: First, Hawaiian Electric Co. has mailed you a brief claims form.
If you have questions about making a claim, call 543-4624, said HECO spokesman Peter Rosegg.
As to what happened, a portion of an underground cable failed on May 10, causing an outage in the 12kV (kilovolt) circuit that serves your home, he said.
A HECO crewman was sent to isolate the section of cable that needed repair and to restore power as soon as possible via an alternate 12kV circuit, Rosegg said. Repairs to the underground cable were made later.
The 12kV circuit in question also serves homes fronting both sides of 15th Avenue, areas on 16th Avenue and parts of Waialae Avenue "that may not be visible from your home," he said.
Another 12kV circuit feeds customers across the street, not fronting 15th Avenue.
"Homes in the same vicinity but on a different circuit may not experience an outage at the same time you are experiencing one, and vice versa," Rosegg explained.
As to frequent outages at your home, HECO records show that your 12kV circuit has been "reliable."
Records show "some brief momentary outages and the last lengthy outage in January of 2004," Rosegg said.
He said HECO sympathizes with any customer's frustration in not knowing what is happening and urges people to call 548-7961 to report any outage.
"Please do not assume someone else will call in an outage," he said.
We asked Rosegg when HECO would notify the news media and the public about a power failure.
He said HECO tries to be proactive in reporting an outage or problem when it affects a large area, traffic or public activities.
For example, a crew needed to continue working along Kapiolani Boulevard through the evening rush hour on May 17. When that happened, the news media, as well as city Traffic Management Center, were notified, he said.
Mahalo
Belatedly, to the wonderful person who found the pills I forgot in a shopping cart at Ewa Town Center. You turned it into Longs' pharmacy but didn't leave your name, so I can't thank you personally. Losing those pills would have taken a big bite out of my Social Security check. I love to shop at Longs because customers and staff show the aloha spirit. -- Shig
Got a question or complaint? Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered. E-mail to
kokualine@starbulletin.com.
See also: Useful phone numbers