Pacific Gas and Electric Co. announces that April is National Safe Digging Month and reminds everyone to call 811 before commencing any size digging project. Every day in Central and Northern California, underground utility lines are damaged due to homeowners and contractors failing to call 811 before starting digging projects.
Not only is digging without knowing the location of underground lines dangerous but it can also result in expensive repairs and inconvenient outages, said PG&E. The utility is joining with others across the country during National Safe Digging Month to help raise awareness of the importance of calling 811 before digging. Underground utility lines can be shallow — sometimes only a few inches below the surface — due to erosion, previous digging projects or landscaping, shifting or settling of the ground, and uneven surfaces.
PG&E says customers should call 811 a minimum of two business days before starting any digging project, large or small, as damaging an underground utility line while digging is dangerous and can leave customers responsible for repair costs averaging $3,500. Customers can also visit 811express.com to have underground utility lines marked for their project site. The 811 call center serving Central and Northern California, USA North, is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will provide Spanish and other translation services.
Professional utility workers for all utilities — gas, electric, water, sewer and telecommunications — will be dispatched free of charge to mark the location of all underground utility lines for the project site with flags, spray paint or both. Customers can then dig safely and “know what’s below,” said Joe Wilson, vice president of PG&E’s North Valley and Sierra Region.
Warmer weather months see an increase in digging projects, said PG&E. According to a recent national survey conducted by the Common Ground Alliance, 56% of homeowners plan to dig without calling 811 first. But failure to call 811 before digging resulted in over 1,300 incidents during 2024 where underground utility lines were damaged due to digging in PG&E’s service area alone.
2024 by the numbers:
- There were 1,302 incidents in Northern and Central California in which homeowners or contractors damaged underground gas or electric lines while digging.
- In 60% of incidents in which an underground utility line was damaged due to digging, 811 was not called.
- For homeowners specifically, that percentage rises to 89%.
- The average cost to repair a damaged utility line is $3,500.
- The leading causes of damage to underground utility lines while digging include building or replacing a fence, gardening and landscaping, planting a tree or removing a stump, sewer and irrigation work, and building a deck or patio.
PG&E offers the following safe digging tips:
- Mark project area in white: Identify the digging location by drawing a box around the area using white paint, white stakes, white flags, white chalk or even white baking flour.
- Call 811 or submit an online request a minimum of two working days before digging: Be prepared to provide the address and general location of the project, project start date and type of digging activity. Requests can be submitted a maximum of 14 days prior to the start of the project.
- Dig safely: Use hand tools when digging within 24 inches of the outside edge of underground lines. Leave utility flags, stakes or paint marks in place until the project is finished. Backfill and compact the soil.
Common Ground Alliance is a member-driven association of nearly 4,200 damage prevention professionals spanning every facet of the underground utility industry. Established in 2000, CGA is committed to saving lives and preventing damage to North American underground infrastructure by promoting effective damage prevention practices. More information is available at http://www.commongroundalliance.com.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co., a subsidiary of PG&E Corp., is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. More information is available at pge.com and pge.com/news.