wiredInUSA November 2016

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wiredInUSA - November 2016 25
Engineers from the UK’s Electricity North
West have begun work to upgrade 3km
of power cable under England’s deepest
lake, Wastwater.
The second phase of the $700,000 project
will involve engineers pulling the new
cable across the lake by boat, following
the installation of 560m of power cable
along the lakeside in the remote village
of Wasdale Head in Cumbria last month.
The original electricity cable was installed
under Wastwater in 1977.
Martin Deehan, operations director for
Electricity North West, said: “The time is right
to proactively replace sections of the power
cable, to help ensure the local residents
and businesses receive the essential power
they need for years to come.
“This is an incredibly difficult job due to the
extremely remote location and sensitive
area. The lake itself is a designated site of
special scientific interest, as is a large area
of the scree slopes alongside.
“We have been working closely with the
local community and they have showed
us great support towards the work we are
doing in the area.”
The project will be completed during
November, after a planned shutdown to
allow engineers to connect the new cables
to the network.
Taking the plunge for
Lakeside upgrade
Work has begun on the upgrade to 3km of power cable under Wastwater.
Photograph courtesy of