CU contracts company to assess ice-storm damage

Buffalo, N.Y.-based Osmose Utilities Services Inc.’s Atlanta division started the evaluation Wednesday under a $450,000 contract with CU, according to CU Supervisor of Communications Joel Alexander. Osmose is beginning in the northwest section of CU’s system area and will initially work 7 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Monday–Saturday.

The assessment will allow CU to include any remaining repair costs related to the January ice storm in its requests for reimbursement to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which can refund up to 75 percent of storm costs.

“If you consider the impact of the damage the storm had on our system, we know there were probably incidents where they weren’t repaired up to full speed – we just got people up and running the best we could,” Alexander said. “Osmose is coming in to evaluate each and every pole on the system to make sure we’re back up and running the way we need to be.”

While Osmose is assessing the system for damages, the firm will take detailed inventory of CU’s approximately 80,000 poles. Inspections of the poles will give the utility data on their conditions and what each carries, such as cable television and telephone lines.

Osmose workers will be accessing CU customers’ backyard and sideyard utility easements. They will carry identification credentials and will wear green safety vests that identify them as Osmose employees. All vehicles used in the project will be marked as CU-approved.