At a glance
The Common Ground Alliance's annual damage data is out, and the direction is the wrong one: a record-high index, telecom and gas absorbing 87 percent of reported damages, and the same root causes as every year before.
_The Common Ground Alliance's annual damage data is out, and the direction is the wrong one: a record-high index, telecom and gas absorbing 87 percent of reported damages, and the same root causes as every year before._
The headline numbers
CGA's DIRT Data Summary & Trends analyzed 221,717 unique damage reports from 2025. The CGA Index — the measure it uses to track year-over-year buried utility damage — reached a record high of 102, exceeding the original baseline and marking an eight-point increase in damages since 2023. 1Jump to source 12Jump to source 2
Damages continue to rise alongside construction activity as measured by GDP. 1Jump to source 1
Who is getting hit
| Facility type | Share of 2025 damage reports |
|---|---|
| Telecom / cable TV | 51% |
| Natural gas | 36% |
| Electric | 8% |
| Water / sewer | 5% |
Telecom and natural gas together account for 87 percent of all facility damage reports submitted in 2025. 1Jump to source 12Jump to source 2
The most-reported combination was contractors performing water or sewer line work with a backhoe or trackhoe, followed by contractors using trenchers on cable TV and water lines. 1Jump to source 1
The root causes have not moved
Systemic challenges remain highly consistent year over year, with little movement in the top ten root causes — which together account for 86 percent of all reported damages. Failure to notify before digging remains the single largest root cause every year. 1Jump to source 12Jump to source 2
That consistency is the actual story. This is not a problem that is drifting because conditions changed; it is a problem that persists because the same handful of behaviours persist.
What CGA said next
CGA indicated it would release a fuller State of Damage Prevention Report contextualizing the 2025 DIRT data against broader industry and economic trends, with recommendations for the sector. 1Jump to source 1
View 2 numbered sources
Sources
- DIRT Data Summary & Trends, 2025 data — Common Ground Alliance — https://dirt.commongroundalliance.com/
- CGA DIRT Report Highlights Concerning Levels of Damages to Buried Utilities, Signals Need for Industry-Wide Changes — Common Ground Alliance — https://commongroundalliance.com/Publications-Media/Press-Releases/cga-dirt-report-highlights-concerning-levels-of-damages-to-buried-utilities-signals-need-for-industry-wide-changes
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