Today, August 11, the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) joins stakeholders across the country in recognizing National 8/11 Day – a moment to reaffirm the vital importance of clicking or calling before you dig.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of underground utility strikes occur, adding up to more than once every minute. These incidents disrupt communities, delay projects, cost billions of dollars, and – most importantly – put lives at risk. Preventing them is everyone’s responsibility.
At the heart of damage prevention is a simple step: notifying 811 before beginning any digging project. One-call centers connect excavators with utility operators so that underground lines can be accurately marked in advance. This free service benefits both professional contractors and homeowners. Those flags and painted markings you often see on city streets, sidewalks, and lawns are the result of a coordinated process designed to keep people safe and infrastructure intact.
With tens of millions of miles of buried utilities across the United States, the potential for accidental strikes is real – and costly. For every $1 spent on direct costs, communities can face up to $30 in indirect costs. This leads to many billions of dollars annually. By working together, we can reduce those impacts.
New Research: Adding to the Conversation on Excavation Readiness
In partnership with Virginia 811, and in the spirit of collaboration, Aii is releasing a new white paper today for National 8/11 Day focused on Moving Excavation Readiness Beyond Rhetoric and Toward Truth Through a Call for Dialectic. The paper analyzes several years of Virginia-specific data on timely utility locates and compares the results with national estimates.
This research is not an argument against any organization’s work – it is an additional perspective meant to enrich the broader industry dialogue. Georgia 811 and the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) have brought valuable attention to the topic of excavation readiness. Building on that work, Virginia’s model reflects its own state laws, operational environment, and unique data.
Our role at Aii is to bring forward data, questions, and ideas that help stakeholders collectively explore challenges, identify what’s working, and uncover opportunities for improvement. Different models and datasets may yield different insights – but the goal is the same: safer digging, better outcomes, and more resilient infrastructure projects.
A Shared Goal and an Open Forum
National 8/11 Day is an opportunity to celebrate the dedicated efforts of locators, one-call centers, utility operators, and responsible excavators. We recognize that some findings may differ across states, and we see that diversity of data as a strength in finding lasting solutions. It’s also a reminder that safe digging depends on collaboration, transparency, and a willingness to look at data from multiple angles.
Aii welcomes perspectives from all parts of the industry. We believe productive dialogue – especially among those who may see an issue differently – drives better solutions. Our commitment is to serve as a forum where stakeholders can share insights, challenge assumptions, and work toward the shared mission of preventing damage, protecting people, and safeguarding the infrastructure that underpins daily life.
Know what’s below. Call before you dig. Dial 811.
Written by Owen Rogers, Public Policy Associate, and Benjamin Dierker, Executive Director
The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) is an independent, national research and educational organization working to advance innovation across industry and public policy. The only nationwide public policy think tank dedicated to infrastructure, Aii explores the intersection of economics, law, and public policy in the areas of climate, damage prevention, eminent domain, energy, infrastructure, innovation, technology, and transportation.