CUC power division head Gary Camacho, in an advisory, said the problem occurred on the first partial of the feeder before it affected the entire grid that supplies power to Lower Base, the Commonwealth Ports Authority’s seaport in Puerto Rico, Hotel Street in Garapan, and the stretch of Beach Road from Garapan to the San Jose intersection.
Camacho said the trees were immediately trimmed and the feeder’s power was fully restored at 11:15 p.m.
At around 9 a.m., Sunday, an electrical fault in Obyan area caused power outage in the southern villages.
Camacho said the Chalan Kiya Substation breakers activated to cause the power outage, due to the electrical fault in Obyan area.
As a result, the entire grids of Kiya 1, 2 and 4 simultaneously tripped and affected the power in As Terlaje, Northern Marianas College, the Botanical Garden, portions of Fina Sisu, lower Dandan, the upper Dandan homestead, Isley Field, Kannat Tabla, As Perdido, San Vicente, As Lito, Koblerville, As Gonno, San Antonio, Afetnas, Chalan Piao, Chalan Kiya, San Jose, Oleai, Susupe, Mount Carmel and south to portions of Chalan Kanoa.
Camacho said CUC’s line crew later identified two shattered high voltage porcelain insulators in the switchgear in Obyan.
The portion of the damaged system was isolated prompting CUC’s crew to quickly repair and energize all affected areas other than the portions of Obyan.
The repair was completed at 7:20 p.m. of the following day.
Camacho said the cause of the problem was still being determined.
Water affected
The CUC advisory said the problem also affected the switchgear that supplies electrical power to the 15 Obyan water wells.
This limited the water division’s normal daily collection to 65 percent.
To compensate, the division shifted water supplies to the new Kanat Tabla super blue tank and the Dandan tank.
Deputy Director Bruce Meggar of the water and wastewater division said the problem will have limited impact to the water system.
CUC, Camacho said, “apologizes for any inconvenience the power interruptions have imposed on the community and will continue to work diligently to perform all the necessary system maintenance to minimize future power interruptions.”
