DPU Joins 2025 Dig Safe Awareness National Campaign

 DPU Joins 2025 Dig Safe Awareness National Campaign 

 Governor Healey signs proclamation declaring April as Dig Safe Month 

 BOSTON — In recognition of April as Dig Safe Awareness month, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is joining Dig Safe Inc., utility companies, and other states across the nation to remind contractors, excavators, and residents to call 811 before starting any outdoor digging projects.   

Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll recently signed a proclamation announcing Dig Safe Awareness month in April across Massachusetts. The proclamation is just one of the many ways the state is promoting awareness of the free service that Dig Safe provides to all.  

811 is the line for Dig Safe, Inc., an organization that notifies gas, electric, telephone, and cable companies about any intended digging project to ensure underground lines and pipes are not tampered with. Dig Safe tickets can also be obtained online at www.digsafe.com. At no cost to the excavator, professional locators will visit the requested dig site to mark the approximate locations of underground utility lines with flags, spray paint, or both. This ensures that underground utility lines are properly marked before digging starts and can prevent accidents from happening, keeping residents and their communities safe. 

Excavations are the leading cause of damage to underground utility infrastructure. In 2024, the DPU investigated 2,537 excavation-related incidents involving possible violations of utility infrastructure in Massachusetts. The DPU’s investigation of these incidents resulted in over $14.1 million in civil penalties assessed to violators.  

Additionally, the DPU’s enforcement actions and educational seminars for first-time offenders, which nearly 258 different contractors attended in 2024, have led to a continuous reduction in the total damage rate per thousand tickets. Since 2018, the DPU has reduced the rate by approximately 31.17%, going from a damage rate of 2.47 per thousand tickets to approximately 1.6.   

It is the law to call 811 at least three days before starting to dig on or near your property. Accidentally striking an underground utility line can result in serious personal injury, property damage, and costly service disruptions. Failure to follow the law and state regulations can also result in fines. Even small projects like planting a garden or installing a mailbox require homeowners to contact 811, as many utility lines are buried just a few inches below the ground.  

 Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call to 811. Examples of digging projects that require a call to 811 include: 

·       Installing a mailbox or fence; 

·       Building a deck; 

·       Installing a pool or basketball hoop; and, 

·       Planting trees and shrubs.    

According to a recent survey from Common Ground Alliance, a partnering organization with Dig Safe Inc., around 27.2 million Americans will put themselves and their communities at risk in the next year by not contacting 811 before beginning outdoor digging projects. Massachusetts residents are highly encouraged not to join that statistic by planning ahead and making the necessary calls to Dig Safe.