Eversource to Prune Trees in Waltham to Improve Service Reliability

WALTHAM, MA – Eversource Energy will begin pruning trees in Waltham this month as part of the company's proactive vegetation management initiative.

The program is designed to provide reliable electric service to its customers while ensuring trees grow around power lines.

Contractors hired by Eversource will prune trees lining Waltham streets to allow for the necessary clearance to maintain the safety and reliability of power lines. The work is expected to be completed by September.

"Trees are the number one cause of power outages in the region, so it’s important we address them through proper pruning," Paul Sellers, supervisor of Vegetation Management for Eversource in Massachusetts, said in a press release. "Because we recognize the aesthetic and environmental benefits of trees in the communities we serve, we do our pruning work with careful consideration for their long-term health."

According to Eversource, since 2011 regularly scheduled pruning has reduced the number of outages caused by trees by 33 percent in the state.

Eversource hires a team of arborists to work with the tree warden in each community and notifies customers in advance if pruning needs to be done on their property. Dead or diseased trees that threaten power lines or are potential safety hazards on public roads are also removed.

Proactive tree pruning can also reduce the duration of outages when they occur, as crews have better access to damaged equipment.

As a reminder, homeowners are responsible for tree maintenance on their own property, including keeping branches away from low-voltage wires connecting their homes or businesses to the main utility wires on the street. Eversource recommends hiring a professional tree service for this work.