Section 5.1 Notify District of New or Rewire Work
Customer or Contractor should promptly notify the District (refer to Section 1) of the electrical work planned. Prompt notification will minimize wiring problems and avoid unwanted delays when work is completed.
Section 5.2 Wiring Inspection
Customer wiring may be subject to inspection and approval by Washington State Wiring Inspector. Contact Department of Labor and Industries for requirements. For areas outside of L&I jurisdiction a property owner representative must authorize, in writing, the energizing of service wiring in conjunction with an independent electric inspection. Circumstances generally requiring wiring approval before service can be connected or reconnected are:
- New wiring is installed or existing wiring is added to, repaired, or altered.
- Any service de-energized for more than one year.
- Fire - Service has been ordered disconnected by the Fire Department, disconnected by the Fire Department themselves, or disconnected by the District personnel because of hazard to the public.
- Storm or Vandal Damage - Disconnected by the District personnel because of danger or hazard to the public. The District will promptly notify the inspection authority.
- Ordered disconnected by an electrical inspection authority because of defective or hazardous wiring.
- Disconnected by District personnel upon observing a hazard to the public caused by Customer wiring. The District will promptly notify the electrical inspection authority.
- Disconnected by District personnel at the request of the Customer or their electrical Contractor in order to add to, repair, or change the wiring. (Contractor can usually arrange by telephone for the electrical inspection authority to give verbal wiring approval to the District).
Section 5.3 Emergency Repairs After Hours, Weekends, & Holidays
Reconnection can be made for emergency reasons if Contractor provides the District with electrical license and work permit number. The District will promptly notify electrical inspection authority of this action.
Section 5.4 Diversion of Service
It is illegal to tamper with a District meter or metering equipment and to make unauthorized connections and reconnections of service with the intent to divert electrical energy from being properly metered. Such diversion is subject to service cutoff and legal action.
Section 5.5 Contractor Access
Contractor may access Customer-owned and District secured meter and C.T. equipment in the pursuit of legitimate work. The Contractor is required to inform the District within 24 hours of this action and the work intended, by calling the appropriate District office. Failure to provide prompt notification will cause access to be considered unauthorized and subject to legal action.
Section 5.6 Grounded Neutral
All services shall have a grounded neutral. Three-phase, three-wire metered services are not permitted.
Section 5.7 Communication Bonding
Telephone and/or other electronic equipment may require grounding external to Customer premises. Such ground connections are not permitted inside District sealed and secured cable and meter compartments.
Section 5.8 Distribution Center Pole Metering
Farm Customer may desire service at a number of locations making it uneconomical to distribute from a meter located at the residence. In such cases, Customer can request a distribution center pole on which District meter is installed and from which Customer extends service to the various locations.
Section 5.9 Transfer Equipment
Transfer equipment, including transfer switches, shall operate such that all ungrounded conductors of District source of supply are disconnected before any ungrounded conductors of the second source are connected.
Section 5.10 Customer Generation
The following general requirements apply to customer generation facilities designed to operate directly connected to the District’s electrical system (parallel operation) and those that are designed to operate isolated from the District’s system (non-parallel operation). Requirements and specifications for various types and sizes of customer facilities shall be obtained from the Customer Service Representative prior to installation.
- Standby Generation (Non-Parallel Operation)
The Customer may install a standby generator to supply all or part of the load in the event of a service interruption. The customer’s wiring shall be arranged so as to prohibit the interconnection of the District’s service and the customer’s alternate source of supply. This will require the installation of a double-throw switch or its equivalent as approved by the District. Drawing #37 schematically illustrates some typical installations of standby generating equipment.Note: Precautions must be taken where alternate means of generation are employed, whether emergency or otherwise, to eliminate the possibility of electrical connection between the District’s service and the customer’s alternate source of supply. The customer must notify the District and provide electrical details of generator installation and isolation from the District’s system. - Auxiliary Generation, Net Metering and Production Metering (Parallel Operation)
Prior to the installation and operation of any auxiliary generation facilities (e.g. wind turbine, solar panel, etc.) and net-metering or production metering, the customer must notify the District to obtain approval for the installation and enter into an Interconnection Agreement for metering. Additional information and requirements can be found in District’s Net Metering Reference Materials:- Customer Checklist for Utility Interconnection
- Standards for Interconnection with Electric Generators
- Application for Interconnecting a Generating Facility No Larger than 100KW
- Net Energy Metering Interconnection Agreement
- Generating Facility Certificate of Completion
- Cogeneration (Parallel Operation)
Co-generators are defined as facilities that produce electrical energy and utilize the heat energy by-product for other purposes (e.g., heating or cooling). The customer must notify the District prior to the installation of this equipment in order to provide design information and obtain approval for connection of the equipment the District’s facilities