Pepco has released what it believes contributed to the death of two dogs that were reportedly electrocuted in D.C. in early January.
The two separate reports of the animals reportedly being fatally electrocuted came in Jan. 6 on 19th Street NW near M Street.
The energy company released a statement Friday following an investigation into the incident, saying it found “a fault in a degraded secondary cable” that contributed to the apparent electrocution of the animals.
“While this degraded cable alone would not lead to voltage entering the environment, when combined with melting snow, deicing salt, and debris in the manhole, it created a highly conductive environment,” Pepco said in a statement. “This condition resulted in the sidewalk and nearby objects becoming energized.”
Pepco said it is rare, but both stray voltage and contact voltage can be transmitted through grates, maintenance hole covers, streetlights and traffic signals. It said it utilizes a third-party contractor for testing maintenance hole covers and grates for stray and contact voltage “regularly.”
Pepco said it has made the repairs to this specific area to prevent it from happening again.
“Our thoughts remain with the pet owners affected by this situation,” Pepco said in the statement.
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