Cutting Grounding Conductor on Pole Lines

[REDDOG]

Why would one deliberately cut the grounding conductors on an aerial distribution system?
I have observed this situation on several industrial aerial distribution systems.
The grounding conductor is removed from the grounding electrode at or near the base of the pole. This conductor connected the neutral and or grounding conductor to the earth.
The voltages varied depending upon the installation. One installation was 4160 and the other installation was 480 volt.

 

[jghrist]

To sell the scrap copper. This is a big problem at many utilities. Sometimes even the phase wires are stolen - sometimes a big problem for the thief.

 

[waross]

It may also be to steal the brass grounding fitting that connected the cable to the ground rod.
Sometimes the thief is found laying dead nearby.
This is particularly an issue with ungrounded delta delta transformers. If the ground conductor to the transformer case is cut, capacitive action may raise the case voltage high enough to be lethal. The charging current is more than enough to kill but not much more. There are some gruesome photos on the net of thieves who died stealing the ground wire from a transformer case.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[jmmee97]

A few years ago we had someone cut the ground wires off several poles because they claimed these wires were antennas and we were communicating to aliens. True story.

 

[ausphil]

jimmee97,

which part was true, the cutting ground wires, or the communicating part?



ausphil