Water, Power Restoration Underway On Sanibel

by SC Publisher Shannen Hayes

EDITOR’S NOTE: The boil water notice has since been rescinded for Sanibel and Captiva Islands by the Island Water Association. 

Island Water Association and Lee County Electric Cooperative have started restoring power and water to Sanibel properties after Hurricane Ian caused extensive damage to the power grid and water system.

IWA has restored water to 3,000 island properties, and counting, in a little more than a month since the storm “We are receiving 100 requests per day,” said General Manager Diana Wison. “Great progress has been made.”

Sanibel remains under a boil notice. Wilson also said penalty fees have been suspended for 90 days from the storm on Sept. 28. Billing will resume once service is requested.

The IWA office has reopened and is taking phone calls at 239-472-1502 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to answer questions.

Power Restoration

LCEC Key Account Executive Trish Dorn said 970 properties were re-energized as of Monday, Nov. 1, but 117 properties are unservicable or power can’t be provided for different reasons. LCEC had received 1,485 affidavits from electrical engineers since that time.

LCEC has 200 crews working to restore power poles on Sanibel Captiva Road after Hurricane Ian caused extensive damage to the power grid. SC photo by Dorothy Wallace

Each property owner is required to follow certain steps before the city will notify LCEC to restore power to an address, which includes an inspection and signed affidavit by an electrical engineer.

Dorn said property owners may receive power only to have it go off again because of damage to a transformer. “We won’t know about any damage until we re-energize it,” she said. Power fluctuations could be experienced up to six months after the storm.

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