Watch Your Step New Yorkers

Con Ed is still having trouble with stray voltage and can't keep up with the annual problems due to water, ice, and salt, which corrodes insulation and enables the power to energize nearby metallic objects. It's improved since 2004, but there's a long way to go, and the problems aren't confined to just Con Ed equipment.

Well, stray voltage is still common, but is less threatening to the public than in 2004, Con Edison now says.

In a report issued today’s on its Web site, Con Edison reported a 78 percent decline in the number of electric shocks since 2004; 46 electric shocks on company-owned equipment were reported in 2007, compared with 210 in 2004.

The company attributed the reduction in large part to a $100 million stray voltage mitigation initiative that uses 15 mobile stray voltage detectors year-round to detect stray voltage as low as one volt on manhole covers, gratings, service boxes, light poles, neon signs and other structures. In addition, crews using hand-held voltage detection equipment survey 730,000 structures in New York City and Westchester County once a year.

In 2007, Con Edison says, it found and eliminated 5,427 cases of stray voltage; 3,224, or 60 percent, were on non-Con Edison equipment and 2,203, or 40 percent, were on Con Edison structures.

“Whenever stray voltage is found, the condition is made safe by our employees regardless of whether or not it involves company equipment,” said John F. Miksad, senior vice president of electric operations at Con Edison.

Indeed, Con Ed isn't the only one who has the problem - often it is due to non Con Ed equipment, but the danger is just as real regardless whose property the stray voltage comes from.

The problems can crop up annually as the weather turns and water gets on or near the cables and their insulation, especially in the underground vaults that are prevalent in Manhattan.