50-State Report Card Shows Great Room for Improvement

In today’s world, daily reliance on buried infrastructure is unprecedented. Beneath our feet lies an intricate network of pipes, cables, and wires—powering our homes, fueling our economy, and keeping us connected. However, this critical infrastructure faces a constant threat: unintentional damage from excavation. Whether it’s a road crew digging for repairs or a homeowner planting a tree, one wrong move can spell disaster. The consequences of such incidents are far-reaching, from widespread outages to catastrophic and fatal accidents, but the solutions are known and perfectly within reach.

Enter the Aii 2024 Damage Prevention Report Card.

At the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii), we have championed smart policies and practices that protect our infrastructure and worker safety for a decade. This year’s report continues that important work by evaluating those state-level laws and regulations designed to prevent damage to underground utilities – the dig laws. Conducted every four years to allow time for states to make changes to their laws, the Report Card tracks key consensus best practices and the utilization of technology. While some states are making strides, others fall alarmingly short, allowing continued risks to their residents and infrastructure reliability.

The Importance of White-Lining: Precision in Prevention

A new element evaluated in the 2024 Damage Prevention Report Card is the practice of “white-lining,” a simple yet highly effective method for reducing excavation damage. White-lining is when the excavator pre-marks the proposed excavation site with white paint, stakes, or flags before utility locators arrive. This allows locators to know exactly where digging will take place, improving the accuracy of utility markings and reducing the risk of miscommunication or errors. Despite its effectiveness, white-lining is often underutilized or exceptions in state law render the practice voluntary. When adopted and enforced, it ensures that all parties—excavators, locators, and utility operators—are on the same page, leading to fewer incidents and better protection of buried infrastructure. White-lining makes the excavation process more transparent, efficient, and safe, directly contributing to reduced damage rates. Regrettably, less than half the states have sufficient white-lining laws that do not include broad exceptions but which make pre-marking the general default requirement.

Taking these benefits and compounding them, electronic white-lining offers unique benefits such as reducing the notification zone to reduce over-notification, allowing utility companies to more efficiently screen or vet dig sites, and provide locators additional information they can cross reference through a mobile device. Excavators benefit first by being able to pre-mark virtually from a remote location and second by enjoying the benefits of more precise communication with locators and operators that help reduce damage risks. Yet only 10 states even point to electronic white-lining in their laws, despite pilot programs and demonstrated value for nearly two decades.

The Role of Positive Response: Communication is Key

One of the most striking findings from the 2024 report is that despite the consensus around the essential role of “Positive Response” in preventing damage, only 27 states and Washington, D.C. have sufficient systems in place to close the communication loop in most or all cases. A positive response ensures that excavators receive direct confirmation that underground facilities have been marked—or that no facilities are present—before work begins. This simple yet powerful communication dramatically reduces the risk of damage.

Gaps in communication leaves far too much to chance, increasing the likelihood of accidents. Marking utility lines alone isn’t enough; there must be a direct line of communication between the operator or locator and the excavator to confirm that the job has been done and that it’s safe to proceed.

The best practice here is clear: where communication thrives, safety follows. That is why additional leveraging of technology only provides additional benefits. Electronic positive response allows excavators to check the status of a ticket online in real time, but less than half of states require such a platform. With even more enhancement, the number of states falls even further – only one state has a law requiring enhanced positive response whereby excavators are also granted access to the commonly used and created enhanced information during a locate such as digital pictures, maps, and virtual manifests. Pilot programs from over a decade ago showed a 67 percent reduction in excavation damage when enhanced positive response is employed, but state laws are not raising the standards to ensure excavator safety and robust communication.

The Report Card’s Findings: A Mixed Bag

The 2024 Damage Prevention Report Card offers a snapshot of how well states are protecting their buried infrastructure. While we’re encouraged by the improvements in some areas, the overall picture remains mixed. Many states continue to underperform, largely due to broad exceptions or inconsistent adoption of innovative technology and consensus best practices.

It’s worth noting that the consequences of inadequate damage prevention go beyond dollars and cents. Yes, the financial costs are staggering—tens of billions of dollars in repairs, lost productivity, and service interruptions every year—but the risks to public safety and national security are even greater. Our modern society runs on the assumption that the energy, communication, and water systems beneath us are functioning without interruption. When they fail, the ripple effects are felt in every community.

A Path Forward: Innovation and Accountability

So, what can be done to fix this? The path forward requires a mix of innovation, enforcement, and accountability. First, states must embrace proven and consensus technology that can streamline the excavation process and improve the accuracy of facility marking and communication. Additionally, states need to hold both operators/locators and excavators accountable, ensuring that White-Lining and Positive Response are not just recommendations but requirements. When reform to state laws is initiated, particular attention should be paid to the highly accessible, commercially available, and data-driven technological solutions that can facilitate electronic and enhanced versions of these practices.

As the demand on our underground infrastructure grows, the need for robust, forward-thinking damage prevention policies becomes all the more urgent.

Aii’s Role in the Solution

At Aii, we are committed to serving as an independent resource for policymakers and industry leaders. The 2024 Damage Prevention Report Card provides both a reflection of current practices and a roadmap for the future. Through education, awareness, and collaboration with stakeholders and policymakers, we can help close the gaps and ensure that America’s infrastructure is protected and workers are safe.

The stakes are too high to ignore. As we look ahead, this report provides states, industry stakeholders, and communities tools to prioritize damage prevention reforms. By embracing proven solutions and holding ourselves to higher standards, we can build a safer, more resilient future for all.

In the end, it’s about more than just preventing damage; it’s about safeguarding the people and systems that keep our society functioning. And that’s a responsibility we all share.

Written by Benjamin Dierker, Executive Director