Two power disruptions are planned for October as the municipality upgrades electrical switches at the Prairie Valley Substation.
The six-hour delays are planned for Sunday, Oct. 15 and Sunday, Oct. 22, from midnight to 6 a.m. both days.
All of Summerland except for the Trout Creek, Front Bench and Canyon View areas will be affected by the outages.
The porcelain switches at the substation break down and become brittle over time. They will be replaced with more durable epoxy switches.
A total of 42 switches will be replaced.
Kris Johnson, director of works and utilities for the municipality, said Sunday mornings were chosen since the time would have the lowest inconvenience to the community.
“We’ve tried to schedule them for a time when disruption to the average resident is minimal,” he said.
Municipal staff urge residents to have working flashlights, backup alarm clocks and other supplies for the outages.
A full freezer should stay cold for one to two days if the door remains closed. If the freezer is half-full, the food will stay cold for around 24 hours.
Refrigerator doors should be closed as much as possible to keep food cold during the outages. A refrigerator will keep food cold for up to four hours.
For other items using electricity, the effects will be the same as with any unscheduled power outage, he added.