SaskPower is preparing to undertake its annual pole inspection work in various sectors across the province.

The closest work to the southwest of the province this year will be Rosetown, where nearly 25,000 poles will be inspected for things like carpenter ants, rot, lean, and general wear and tear that the prairies can afflict.

Scott McGregor is a spokesperson for the Crown corporation and knows what goes into these inspections.

"Typically what our crews will do is approach the pole and give it a visual inspection," described McGregor. "From there they'll dig down a little bit below the ground level to see if there's any decay or damage. Our crews are well equipped and know what they're looking for."

They inspect the poles for any sign of infestation, decay, or other damages that warrant a replacement.

In total this year, SaskPower crews will be inspecting over 100,000 power poles.

"It's a significant undertaking," allowed McGregor. "But it's something we have to do to ensure that our network of wood power poles remains in tip-top shape."

The company does these inspections every year, and every year sees different areas that could use inspections. One area that should be clear for the next few years is the 25-kilometre radius around Maple Creek that saw over 600 poles replaced after the winter storm that knocked out power to the town for a week.

"We probably won't send crews within that region there by virtue of most of those polls would have been replaced," allowed McGregor. "But if the region itself has been flagged for maintenance and inspections, we would still send crews out to that area. We just we would know which polls were new and which ones needed to be inspected."

You don't need to wait for the program to enter your area either if you know of a tipped pole or see damage that needs addressing.

"If you come across a pole that has sustained damage or maybe it's you know looming in a way that looks precarious," advised McGregor. "Give our outage center a call at 306-310-2220."