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This week, the House advanced a bill addressing your safety concerns about the dangers of double utility poles present in Waterbury. House Bill 5003, which I am proud to co-sponsor, establishes a statewide process to ensure that crews promptly remove these outdated poles after replacement, which has been a persistent issue.
HB 5003 increases accountability by requiring utilities and other pole users to transfer their equipment from the old poles to new ones within set deadlines (generally 20–45 days after notice) with penalties in place if they fail to comply. If deadlines are missed, utilities can complete the work and bill those responsible.
The bill also mandates timely notification through a centralized electronic database and requires utilities to report noncompliance to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), which will publicly track repeat offenders. This would help utilities and regulators identify and resolve issues more quickly, as existing efforts have struggled to keep pace with the scale of the problem.
Finally, the legislation sets a firm deadline of January 1, 2029, for electric and telephone companies to remove all existing double utility poles, aiming to eliminate safety hazards and improve accountability statewide.
Double poles are an eyesore but also a safety hazard for our community. The bill creates clear timelines, real consequences, and greater transparency to finally fix this problem.
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