SRP line workers inspect 14-story electrical towers in Queen Valley

QUEEN VALLEY, Ariz. - The Salt River Project is literally shaking things up, and it's all part of the utility company's annual inspections.

"Behind me, there's a 500 kilovolt tower. High voltage transmission line," said Joshua Koon, an SRP lineman.

Annually, SRP crews conduct aerial tower evaluations to make sure the towers Koon is talking about are safe and reliable. He's been doing this for 25 years.

Once a helicopter sets him on top of the 140-foot transmission tower, he descends to the ground, making sure the pole is free from rattles, cracks, or loose connections.

"Some of the things we’re looking for is broken insulators, broken wire, broken seal. We’ll log anything thing that’s wrong and go back to fix it," said Koon.

Each lineman will inspect several towers, taking about 30 minutes to complete from top to bottom.

"Two teams of four. Each guy per tower.. after those guys are dropped, the helicopter circles back, grabs the other team, leapfrogs that first team and so on." 

This critical inspection ensures power continues to flow safely through the Valley and beyond.

"It affects not only this area, but it affects a huge area," said Koon.

The towers inspected on Sept. 22 are located in Queen Valley between Gold Canyon and Superior.