In the Trenches – Expanding Service to Meet Demand

Nearly 2” of rain fell in the night turning the Madrona Ridge subdivision project north of the Rainier Street roundabout in Port Townsend into a mucky mess.

But that didn’t slow progress. Generator-driven sump pumps in open trenches belched water into nearby sewer drains. In the bottom of each trench, rows of conduit extended in all directions.

 In the middle of the trench maze PUD Staking Engineer, Russell Miller squished his way toward what resembled a large green Lego.

“This vault will have a transformer set right on top of it and feed 6 homes across the street,” Miller said, gesturing to a run of conduit disappearing beneath the freshly paved street. Across the street sits a smaller green vault–the destination for power to future homes. In total, the first phase of the project will have 65 vaults of various sizes, and an estimated 11 pad mounted transformers.

The project stands as the largest single residential development since the PUD began electric service in 2013. 90 homes are planned for this first phase, followed by 50 more. 

Miller, and PUD Engineering Manager, Jimmy Scarborough review progress at each stage of construction, ensuring underground services meet PUD standards. This unseen work must stand up to decades of use (and future demand), so no detail is too small. 

Adding a combined total of 167 single-family homes extends beyond the subdivision itself. The project could potentially add 1.1MW of demand on the PUD system, so all infrastructure down the line must all be evaluated. Aging switch cabinets, three-phase distribution line extensions, even the substation that can best support the new load are carefully evaluated.

 Housing is a leading topic between regional agencies and ensuring utility infrastructure is in place for urban growth areas is a priority for JPUD as part of its 4-year workplan.