# Why no widespread underground power utilities? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 1, 2022, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-widespread-underground-power-utilities/972557 "2022-10-01T20:19:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2022, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-widespread-underground-power-utilities/972557/41 "2022-10-06T00:36:32Z")
One data point isn’t a reliable indicator. A digger isn’t the only risk. There are mudslides, water intrusion into conduits, and simple aging of the underground infrastructure. How long were you without power for? In 9 years in my current house with above ground utilities, I’ve lost power many times but for a combined total of less than 12 hours, I think. The longest stretch was about five or six hours. Most of the other cases, I’ve had power back in minutes or sometimes, a couple of hours. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2022, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-widespread-underground-power-utilities/972557/42 "2022-10-06T01:02:34Z")
I had relatives in Boise ID Who lived in assorted north-west suburban developments. The arterial roads (like State St. or Castle Dr.) had poles for power and/or telephone, but none of the subdivision developments they lived in did. It all seems to be buried. Yet I’m told that Boise in the valley by the Boise River has a high water table which is why nobody has a basement. Nobody ever complained about power problems due to this, although some of those houses go back to the 60’s or earlier. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-widespread-underground-power-utilities/972557.md?page=2)