National Safe Digging Month

In April, NARUC observes National Safe Digging Month. This observance is aimed at raising awareness about the importance of contacting 811 before starting any outdoor projects to keep utility infrastructure systems safe from damage and accidents.

According to the 2022 DIRT report by the Common Ground Alliance, 40 percent of active diggers don't contact 811 before digging because they think their project is too shallow to require. The report also noted that the top six root causes driving nearly 76 percent of all damages have been consistent year-over-year. NARUC understands that the key solution for this issue is encouraging federal and state commissions, consumer advocates, industry, and the public to spread awareness about the importance of calling 811 when working on outdoor projects, regardless of how big or small that project is.

The Common Ground Alliance provides a toolkit with media materials, a press release template, governor proclamation tools, social media cards, and many other educational resources for National Safe Digging Month.

Access all of these materials on the Common Ground Alliance website, and share them on your social channels!