Electrical issues have led to a prolonged closure of the campground at the Whidbey Island Fairgrounds while officials work to identify a solution.

The Port of South Whidbey, which owns the fairgrounds, recently received an extension of its Rural County Economic Development Grant, which will be used to address the problem. The grant, which was awarded in 2018, totals $688,610.

Angi Mozer, the port’s executive director, said a customer who was wearing gloves did receive a shock from one of the pedestals on the campground, which alerted port staff to the electrical issue.

“This may have been a fluke, but we decided to be as cautious as possible and closed the campgrounds to ensure safety,” Mozer said.

The campground has been closed since Oct. 11. Mozer said the port hopes to catch the tourist season next year for the reopening. She hopes the closure will last only a few months.

“We already started the process for updating the electrical system,” she said. “We received an assessment of the system in June and we are working with our engineer to start the process of getting the system refurbishment out to bid.”