Utility Damage Prevention

Utility damage prevention is a multi-stakeholder effort involving excavators, utility operators, locators, one-call centers, regulators, and technology providers. The Common Ground Alliance (CGA) publishes Best Practices that serve as the industry standard for damage prevention, covering topics such as planning and design, one-call notification, locating and marking, excavation practices, and mapping.

The economic impact of utility damage is substantial. The CGA estimates that underground utility strikes cause billions of dollars in direct repair costs, project delays, service disruptions, and environmental cleanup expenses each year in the United States. Beyond financial costs, utility strikes cause injuries and fatalities, particularly when gas lines or high-voltage electrical cables are involved.

Hydrovac excavation is one of the most effective tools in the utility damage prevention toolkit. By replacing mechanical excavation with pressurized water and vacuum within the tolerance zone, hydrovac eliminates the primary mechanism of utility damage — contact between a metal bucket or blade and a buried pipe or cable. Many utility operators and pipeline companies now mandate hydrovac use for all excavation near their facilities.