Power pole grounding wire?

[Don C]

I have noticed that several utility poles around the neighborhood have a wire coming down the pole that is cut off at about 6' above ground. They appear to be a copper wire. It is clear that at one time they extended to the ground.

Lacking any knowledge about this wire, I have assumed that at one time they served as lightning rods for the poles.

Am I right that the copper wire was originally a lightning rod? What changed that makes it not necessary any more? I suppose the copper could have been cut and stolen but that seems to be a lot of work for very little copper (per pole, of course).

[modelamac]

I think someone stole that 6' of copper.

[testcase]

IF those "copper wires" were meant to be "lightning rods" for electric service they would have had to be 8' ~ 10' deep in the ground.(and a more substantial gauge). They might have been intended to "ground" old time POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) service. POTS worked on ~ 90 VDC and would have had more modest grounding requirements.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

modelamac wrote:
I think someone stole that 6' of copper.

QFE.

I would need to see a picture of which level on the pole it went to. From bottom to top, it is usually Cable, Phone, Residential 240 V, Distribution 4 kV to 18 kV.

[Speedy]

Call your utility.

[RAMd®d]

I think someone stole that 6' of copper.


Maybe.

But it's a small task to climb the pole a bit and get triple or more without getting zapped.

I'd call the utility to satisfy my curiosity.