1. PG&E promotes safe digging awareness during National Safe Digging Month. 2. 56% of homeowners plan to dig without calling 811, risking utility damage. 3. Over 1,300 utility damage incidents occurred in PG&E's area in 2024. 4. Repairing damaged lines can cost homeowners an average of $3,500. 5. Calling 811 is a free service to locate underground utilities.
This awareness campaign may reduce potential utility damage claims, but immediate market reactions are unlikely.
The article highlights operational risks that PG&E faces, impacting its financial outlook and public image.
If successful in reducing accidents, it can stabilize repair costs and public perception of PG&E over time.
OAKLAND, Calif., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- 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, it can also result in expensive repairs and inconvenient outages. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is joining with others across the country during National Safe Digging Month to help raise awareness of the importance of calling 811 before you dig.
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. 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.
"Calling 811 before any size digging project will help keep you, your family and neighbors safe and will also help you avoid expensive repairs averaging $3,500 should you damage an underground line while digging. Professional utility locators will come to your home and mark the location of underground utilities free of charge so that you can dig safe and know what's below," said Joe Forline, PG&E senior vice president, gas operations.
Warmer weather months see an increase in digging projects, and unfortunately many of those projects are proceeding without a free call to 811 to have underground utilities marked for project sites. In fact, according to a recent national survey conducted by the Common Ground Alliance (CGA), 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.
CGA 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. CGA has established itself as the preeminent source of damage prevention data and information in an effort to reduce damages to underground facilities in North America through shared responsibility among all stakeholders. For more information, visit CGA on the web at http://www.commongroundalliance.com.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.