Why salt may have caused that power outage
Alectra Utilities says frigid winter in southern Ontario has led to power outages hitting several regions. We explain how road salt is the main culprit in the incidents
Southern Ontario has had no shortage of disruptive, cold, icy and snowy weather this winter season.
At times, there have been power outages as a result of the winter weather, especially during the extended periods of frigid temperatures this season.
For Alectra Utilities, the issue is related to road salt and other de-icing products used on roads to deal with the cold and snowy weather, the company said in a news release.
Crews have been working around the clock to clean electrical poles and line hardware to repair and prevent further outages.
Prolonged, cold weather led to a increase in de-icing product usage, resulting in salt contamination on Electra's equipment. When that is mixed with warmer rain, which parts of southern Ontario have seen at times this winter, the result is electrical arcing and brief, intermittent power outages.
Watch the video above for the full breakdown on why road salt can be a contributing factor to power outages, and see some of the removal efforts below.