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Chemical Engineer, MBA: Water & Wastewater System Optimization

On June 29, 2023, a severe thunderstorm storm hit Hancock County, Illinois, causing extensive damage to 120 transmission poles and nearly 6.5 miles of transmission lines. In one brief but powerful event, over 1,500 people from the small towns of Elvaston and Powellton lost power. The target date to restore service was set for August 18, 2023. However, the previous line built over 60 years ago by Prairie Power Incorporated was outdated and the electric utility could not simply replicate the original design. Toth and Associates, Inc. and Prairie Power collaborated with the Western Illinois Electric Cooperative, the area’s supporting distribution utility, and construction partner, L.E. Myers Co. to re-energize the area by the August deadline. Toth used PLS-CADD to streamline design updates and optimization based on field reports and material availability. Despite having to respot, respan, and realign the design due to supply constraints, PLS-CADD helped the teams create an initial design just one day after the storm. Additionally, the team completed the task of staking two miles of line in less than three and a half hours, with the remainder completed the following day. Toth and their collaborators finished reconstruction well ahead of the aggressive deadline thanks to their use of Bentley software. Power was restored to residents 18 days ahead of schedule! Continue reading to learn more: https://bit.ly/47QiZTs

  • A significant storm with high winds rolled through part of Prairie Power Incorporated’s service area on June 29, 2023. The storm felled 120 transmission poles over nearly 6.5 miles from Elvaston, Illinois to Powellton, IL. The loss of that line section resulted in over 1,500 residents without power.

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