It takes a lot of detective work, but Progress Energy stops the power from leaking into the pool at Villas of Beacon Groves.
By CATHERINE E. SHOICHET
Published August 24, 2004
PALM HARBOR - Hundreds of man hours and tens of thousands of dollars later, engineers from Progress Energy have pinpointed the problem spot that allowed electric current traveling to a nearby substation to pass through a local swimming pool.
The pool at the Villas of Beacon Groves opened to residents once again on Aug. 11, property manager Alore Saylor said, after a Progress Energy official told her the problem had been fixed.
The circumstances initially baffled Progress Energy crews.
"It was a very complex situation," said Lou Santilli, the lead engineer for Progress Energy. "We methodically went through a very detailed troubleshooting plan."
The problem was first noted about four weeks ago by residents who used the pool and complained of tingling when they swam near one of the pool's underwater lights. Saylor said when she stuck her arm in the swimming pool, she felt a "little tingle."
Gradually, it got worse, she said.
"It was like sticking your finger in a light socket," Saylor said.
The pool was closed in mid July while Progress Energy crews worked to solve the problem.
Crews tested the grounding of utility poles within a 1-mile radius of the substation at the corner of Alderman and Belcher roads - just 30 yards from the pool. They also inspected and repaired the ground grid at the substation, Santilli said.
The crews ultimately stopped current from flowing through the pool by placing an isolation device on a service pole about 50 feet away, Santilli said. The device directs excess voltage back to the substation, rather than through the pool.
"They were working on the poles. They were working on the substation. They really were all over," said Anne Kovalcik, the president of the neighborhood's homeowners association. "As far as I was concerned, they were very thorough."
A sign taped onto the white metal fence surrounding the pool now announces "Pool Open!!" About five people use it every day.
But Saylor said she hasn't sent a letter to homeowners telling them the pool is safe, because she hasn't received anything in writing from Progress Energy to confirm that the problem has been fixed. Progress Energy officials said there is no safety risk.
"We don't feel comfortable sending out a letter," Saylor said. "People know that it's open."
Resident Carol-Lynn Straub said she won't swim in the pool until she receives a written explanation of the repair process and assurance that the pool is safe.
"I'm honestly apprehensive," she said. "They put a lock on the pool. There had to be some safety problem."
