Town of Oakville
Oakville Hydro line clearing map
The town and its contractors perform hydro line clearing on behalf of Oakville Hydro. This involves pruning trees on a four-year cycle following the Electrical Safety Authority’s (ESA) industry standard of providing a minimum three-metre (10 foot) clearance between branches and primary power lines and one metre (three feet) for secondary lines. Crews will also prune trees to provide clearance from hydro poles and guy-lines.
Hydro line clearing reduces safety hazards and power outages while maintaining the health, safety and well-being of the town’s tree canopy.
Starting in January 2023, the Town of Oakville and its tree service contractor will perform hydro line clearing in west Oakville (Area 1) from Fourth Line to Burloak Drive, south of Rebecca Street.
You can review the progress of the Hydro line clearing program on the interactive map.
Our professional arborist contractors prune trees with these goals in mind:
- Keep the structural integrity of the tree intact
- Maintain the health of the tree with well-placed cuts that heal well and minimize sprouting
- Promote regrowth away from hydro lines through directional pruning
- Leave branches growing down and away from wires to continue their growth
In some instances, the town must prune privately owned trees if they have grown too close to the hydro line.
When hydro lines are located in rear yards, Oakville Hydro has an easement through the property which allows the arborist to access the tree.
If not properly maintained, trees can create power outages or hazardous situations by touching or even falling on hydro lines. In rare instances, trees growing too close to the hydro line will be removed as a last resort if the arborist cannot meet the minimum clearance standards with acceptable pruning set out by the ESA.
Learn more about tree pruning around hydro lines.
