Millions Of Dollars Worth Of Damage Caused By Digging Into Utilities

BAY AREA, CA — A cruise or a family vacation, a down payment on a new car, new furniture, a year of college tuition, or a nice gift for someone you love. All these can cost a person around $3,500.

Damaging an underground utility line while digging can also set a person back around $3,500 — in repair costs. Already in 2023 in PG&E’s service area, lines have been damaged due to digging 776 times. That's more than $2.7 million in costs to the homeowner wielding a shovel or the contractor operating a backhoe if they are found to be responsible.

Across the nine Bay Area counties in 2022, there were 805 total dig-ins where the damaging party was a third-party contractor, third-party government entity, or third-party homeowner or property owner:

• Alameda County: 150
• Contra Costa County: 134
• Marin County: 97
• Napa County: 12
• San Francisco County: 60
• San Mateo County: 99
• Santa Clara County: 150
• Solano County: 31
• Sonoma County: 72

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 points out that underground utility strikes could be avoided if people would call 811 to have utilities marked before work begins. The call and marking are free. Of the 776 times PG&E utilities have been hit in 2023, a call was not made to 811 in 58 percent of the cases. And for residential customers, the percentage of those striking lines while digging who did not call 811 was 90 percent.

"Customer and contractor safety is the main driver behind 811," said Joe Forline, PG&E senior vice president of Gas Operations. "There are considerable risks around digging without knowing where your lines are located. Striking an underground utility line while digging can be dangerous and lead to expensive repairs."

Call 811 Before You Dig

• Customers should call 811 a minimum of two business days before beginning any project that involves digging, no matter how large or small. Customers also can visit 811express.com to have underground utility lines marked for their project site.
• Professional utility workers for all utilities (gas, electric, water, sewer and telecommunications) will be dispatched to mark the location of all underground utility lines for the project site with flags, spray paint, or both
• The 811 call center serving Northern and Central California, USA North, is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will provide Spanish and other translation services.

PG&E 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. PG&E and other utilities will identify underground facilities in the area for free. 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.
• Be aware of signs of a natural gas leak: Smell for a “rotten egg” odor, listen for hissing, whistling or roaring sounds and look for dirt spraying into the air, bubbling in a pond or creek and dead/dying vegetation in an otherwise moist area. If you smell gas, call 911 and then call PG&E at 800-743-5000.