Always call before you dig—that’s the message the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) want to emphasize to contractors and homeowners for “8/11 Day.”

According to the CGA’s 2022 DIRT Report, there were more than 230,000 reports of damage to buried utilities in 2022. Failure to contact 811 before digging continues to be the most prevalent cause of damage, accounting for 25% of incidents in 2022.

There are tens of millions of miles of underground utilities and pipelines throughout the nation, including gas pipes, electrical wires and sewer lines. Cutting into these lines could result in interruption of service, and potentially catastrophic incidents such as an explosion or electrocution. Calling 811 or visiting 811beforeyoudig.com before digging, whether it’s for small project such as planting a tree or a large excavation project, will protect that infrastructure to ensure it continues to provide service and will prevent any possible injuries or property damage.

"Protecting underground facilities is more important than ever. Power, water, natural gas and communication lines are critical life-safety systems that we depend on, not just for convivence, but for our quality of life," said Mike Starner, executive director for outside line safety at NECA. "Regulations and customer expectations are high when it comes to protecting unseen pipes and wires, and rightly so. As a contractor, protecting these facilities while excavating is an important consideration. Power outages, disruptions and release of hazardous materials not only cause harm to equipment and the environment, but can also inure and kill workers and members of the public. Make sure you are up to speed on all local, state, and federal regulations and work closely with your customer to coordinate an effective Damage Prevention Program."

In an press release announcing 8/11 Day, CGA and the PHMSA offered the following safety tips for projects involving digging:

• Always contact 811 a few days before digging is scheduled to commence. It helps to plan ahead, e.g., calling 811 on Monday or Tuesday for work planned for the upcoming weekend, to provide plenty of time for the utilities to mark the approximate location of lines.
• Contact 811 regardless of the digging depth or your familiarity with the property. 
• Confirm that all lines, including electric, telecom, gas and sewer, have been marked. 
• Consider moving the project’s location if it is near any marked utility lines. 
• If working with a contractor/subcontractor for the project, confirm that they have contacted 811. Work should not begin until all lines are marked.

CGA has an 8/11 Day toolkit on its website to help organizations with awareness campaigns, social media posts and more. The Associated General Contractors of America also offers several resources for contractors related to 8/11 Day, including webinars, an educational podcast, articles about safe excavations and damage prevention programs, and training modules for excavation and trenching.