Tree Maintenance

Hydro line clearing program

Starting in January 2020, the Town of Oakville and its tree service contractor will perform hydro line clearing in north west Oakville (Area 2).

Each year, the town and its tree service contractor perform hydro line clearing on behalf of Oakville Hydro to reduce safety hazards and power outages, while maintaining the health, safety and well-being of the town’s tree canopy. If not properly maintained, trees can create power outages or hazardous situations by touching or even falling on hydro lines. In rare instances, trees growing too close to the hydro line will be removed as a last resort if the arborist cannot balance the clearance standard with acceptable pruning standards.

Trees are pruned on a four-year cycle following the Electrical Safety Authority’s (ESA) industry standard of providing a minimum three-metre (10 foot) clearance between branches and primary power lines and one metre (three feet) for secondary lines. Crews will also prune trees to provide clearance from hydro poles and guy-lines. Our professional arborist contractors prune trees with these goals in mind:

• Keep the structural integrity of the tree intact
• Maintain the health of the tree with well-placed cuts that heal well and minimize sprouting
• Promote regrowth away from hydro lines through directional pruning
• Leave branches growing down and away from wires to continue their growth

In some instances, the town must prune privately owned trees if they have grown too close to the hydro line. When hydro lines are located in rear yards, Oakville Hydro has an easement through the property which allows the arborist to access the tree.

Learn more about tree pruning around hydro lines and how you can help maintain your trees.

Report town trees in need of pruning online

Use our Report a Problem tool to let us know about trees on town property that need pruning or appear to be dead or dying.