Excavating or Digging Safety

IF YOU DIG OR EXCAVATE ANY AREA ON ISLAND AND YOU FIND UNDERGROUND CABLES OR CONDUIT PIPES, STOP WORK IMMEDIATELY AND CONTACT MEC SO WE CAN COME AND CHECK THEM FOR YOU.

Whether you plan to excavate/dig for a rubbish hole, making a building or to build fences, or simply for gardening purposes. Please come and ask us first, our staff will be able to show you where any underground cables are buried. The service is free.

This information applies in general to all locations where power is distributed to customers in the Marshall Islands.

Background information about MEC’s Transmission and Distribution system

MEC has two types of power cables, High Voltage (HV) and Low Voltage (LV) cables. These cables are installed two different ways, Overhead Lines (OH) on poles or Under Ground (UG) buried in the ground.

  • OH cables can be bare/naked wires or they can be covered with and insulation layer or plastic coating.
  • UG cables can be bare/naked or insulated/covered cables. They can also be buried directly in the ground or they may be installed inside of buried conduit pipes.
  • HV lines and cables carry 13,800 volts and 4,160 volts of power inside the cables when the power is on.
  • LV lines and cables carry 120 volts and all the way up to 1000 volts of power inside the cables when the power is off. These are the cables that carry the power to your building or equipment.
  • LV lines and cables also include solar system cables. These can range from 12volts to 1000volts depending on the system they are connected to.

HV cables are normally located along the side of the main roads, side roads. They are either installed on poles with cross arms or buried underground.

LV cables are always installed from a transformer to a customer meter. They are either installed on poles with no crossarms or buried underground.

What to Consider When Excavating or Digging

  • Buried underground powerline cables are normally buried anywhere between 24 inches or 36 inches or deeper.
  • Normally 12 inches over any buried underground cable is a warning tapes to indicate that there is buried powerline below, also be aware that areas where cables were installed a long time ago may not have a warning tape.
  • You are putting yourself and those around you at significant risk of electrocution if you don’t consult us prior to digging/excavating near MEC underground powerlines.
  • Cutting a HV cable can kill anyone holding anything that touches the cable.
  • Any damaged LV cable can also kill anyone holding anything that touches the cable, especially when water is present.
  • Consult with our line professionals and engineers if you are going to excavate or dig anywhere in Majuro, especially in areas where MEC has underground powerline cable, and we will assist you.

Never light fires on the ground above buried cables or pipes. The heat from a fire can reach down almost 24 inches in our sandy soil and can melt the protection insulation layers or conduit pipe. This can cause an electrical fault making the power go out in your part of the island.

Our Services

We have services to help you locate any buried underground powerline cables. We have equipment that can find buried cables without digging the ground.

Visit us at our main office in Delap or give us a call at 625-3828 / 3829. Or visit any of our offices on the neighboring islands for information.

We can help you locate any buried underground power lines.

IF YOU HAVE TO DIG/EXCAVATE AND STRIKE ANY UNDERGROUND CABLE, DO NOT TRY TO FIX IT. CALL US AND WE WILL HANDLE IT.

Tampering with MEC Underground or overhead powerline cables is prohibited and illegal.  Those who get caught will be subject to hefty fines and penalties.

ELANE KWOJ LOMNAK IN KUB JABDEWOT IJOKO EWOR LINE IN JAROM EJ ETTOR IBULEN LAL IM KWOJ ELOLO PIPE AK TO IN JAROM, BOJRAK KIR TOK MEC IM JENAJ JIBAN IUK LALE  NAN KWE

Elane kwoj plan in kub nan koman jikin jokbej,  ekkal em ak koman oror, ak elane ej nan am koman am atake.  Jouj im kir to k kim ak itok nan opij eo nan am bok melele ko rellab lak kijien to jarom ko an MEC rej ettor ibulen lal.  Ejjelok wonen jenaj jiban.

Melele kein rej nan jabdewot jikin iloan Majol in me jarom ej etal jen ial ko aer nan imoko imon customer ro ak bijenej ko.

Jidik melele ikijien transmission im distribution system eo an MEC

Ewor ruo kind to in jarom ko, High voltage (HV) ak to eo ekajoor im Low voltage (LV) ak to eo ejjab kanuj in kajoor.   Ruo wewein an to kein ettor Overhead Lines (OH) ak ettor ion kiju ko em Under Ground (UG) ak ettor itulal iumin BWIDREJ.

  • Overhad cables (OH) ak to eo ej ettor ion kiju ko emaron in ejjelok kilin ak an cover ak emaron in wor.
  • Underground cables (UG) ak to eo ej ettor itulal iumin BWIDREJ emaron in ejjelok kilin ak an cover ak emaron in bed iloan pipe ibulen BWIDREJ.
  • 13,800 volts im 4,160 volts rej jonan jarom ko rej ettor ilaon High voltage (HV) cable eo ak to eo ekajoor
  • LV lines and cables carry 120 volts and all the way up to 1000 volts of power inside the cables when the power is off. These are the cables that carry the power to your building or equipment.
  • Jarom ko walok jen kajur in al ak Solar ko rej bareinwot mottan to jarm kein kin jonan kajur in jarom ko ie 12 volts lonlak nan 1,000 volts ekkar nan system in solar eo ej bok an jarom jen e.

High Voltage cable ak to ko (HV) eke aer bed turin ak tererein ial leplep ak main road ko.   Remaron ettor itulon ion kiju ko (OH) ak itulal ibulen BWIDREJ (UG).

Eke an Low Voltage (LV) ak to eo ejjab kanuj in kajoor ettor jen transformer eo nan meta eo an customer.  Jet ien rej ettor jen lal tak jen kiju ko ak jet ien rej ettor iumin BWIDREJ.

Jet Melele nan jela ikijien jerbal in kub iturin line ko ibulen bwidjre

  • To ak cable ko iumin BWIDREJ eke aer 24 inij (2 ne) ak 36 inij (3ne) mulal ak mulal.
  • Kokalal ak kein kakale ko einwot tape nan kalikar ke to jarom ak cable rej ettor ibulen BWIDREJ eke aer bed 12 inij ilon wot to ak cable in jarom ko emoj kalbun i. kanuj in lale bwe ewor jikin emaron in ejjelok tape ak kokale kein ilon in to ko ak cable ko.
  • Ekauatata nan kwe ak ro jet ibelakim elane kwoj kub ak kojjab kebaak im bok melele ibben MEC ikijien line in jarom ko bulen bwidrej
  • Jeratalaplap emaron walok nan jabdewot eo enaj itak ak atartar ibben High Voltage cable ko rekinejnej.
  • Jeratalaplap emaron in bar walok nan jabdewot eo enaj itak ibben Low Voltage (LV) cable ko rekinejnej, elaptata ijoko ebej dren ie.
  • Kebaak MEC nan melele elane kwoj lomnak in kub jabdrewot jikin ko ewor an MEC to jarom rej ettor ilal ak ibulen bwidrej.

Jab kejojo kijeek ion bwidrej ko ewor to ak cable in jarom ibulen bwidrej okmanaan eo jen kijeek eo emaron in tobar cable ko ak to jarom ko 24 inij mulal lal lak im maron in kakure pipe ko rej kojbarok to ak cable in jarom kein.   Men in emaron kakure jarom eo im maron koman kun jarom nan area eo kwoj bed ie.

Service ko an MEC

Jemarn in jiban iuk bukot to ak cable in jarom ko ibulen bwidrej.

Bojrak tok ilo main opij eo delap ak ne ejjab call to kilo 625-3828/3829 ak  jibadrok tok kom ilo opij am jet ilo neighboring island ko.

Kom maron jiban iuk bukot line ak to jarom mokta jen ien am kub, ejjelok wonen.

ELANE KWAR KUB IM ITAAK IM JORAAN JUON IAAN TO AK CABLE IN JAROM KO, JAB KAJION IN KOMADMOD E, CALL E TOK KOM IM JENAJ JIBAN IUK.

JABDEWOT JERBAL IN KOMATAR AK ROEBEB NAN TO AK CABLE IN JAROM KO AN MEC IBULEN BWIDREJ, JABDREWOT EO NAJ LOE RUON ENAJ ETAL KAJE AK BUCKING NAN E.