_Railroad Commission data reported in June puts Texas past 4,800 excavation-related pipeline strikes for the year — and roughly a third of the excavators involved had not contacted 811 before digging._

What was reported

More than 4,800 excavation-related pipeline strikes have been reported across Texas so far in 2026, according to Railroad Commission of Texas data reported in June. Damage caused by excavators remains one of the leading sources of natural gas leaks statewide. 1Jump to source 12Jump to source 23Jump to source 3

More than 1,000 of those incidents occurred in the Dallas–Fort Worth region alone, across Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton counties. 1Jump to source 12Jump to source 2

The reporting followed a fatal apartment explosion in Dallas on May 28, 2026 that killed three people. Initial reports indicated a third-party construction crew may have damaged a nearby natural gas line before the blast. 1Jump to source 12Jump to source 2

The number that matters for contractors

Roughly one-third of the excavators involved in reported pipeline strikes this year had not contacted the Texas one-call system before digging. 1Jump to source 12Jump to source 2

Texas law requires notification at least two business days before excavation begins. 1Jump to source 1 That is not a recommendation, it is Chapter 251 of the Utilities Code — and the free ticket is the cheapest risk reduction available on any job site.

Why strikes still happen after a call

Industry sources cited in the coverage pointed to three contributing factors beyond simple failure to notify: aging infrastructure, incomplete mapping records, and the difficulty of locating some non-metallic pipelines. 2Jump to source 2

That last one is worth sitting with. A plastic gas or water line with no tracer wire produces no signal for an electromagnetic locator, which is a limitation of the method rather than of the locator. Where records are thin and the target is non-conductive, the answer is a different method — not a more confident assumption.

What to do with this

  • Call 811 first, every time. Two business days, and it is free.
  • Read the marks for what they cover. Public marks stop at the point of service; private lines past the meter are the property owner's responsibility.
  • Treat thin records as a risk signal, not a green light. Incomplete mapping is one of the named contributing factors.
  • Ask about non-conductive lines specifically when scoping a locate on an older or unmapped site.
View 3 numbered sources

Sources

  1. Why excavation damage remains a major threat to Texas gas pipelines — Underground Infrastructure, June 2026 — https://undergroundinfrastructure.com/news/2026/june/why-excavation-damage-remains-a-major-threat-to-texas-gas-pipelines
  2. Potentially explosive gas leaks reported thousands of times in Texas — KERA News, 3 June 2026 — https://www.keranews.org/news/2026-06-03/texas-excavators-damaged-thousands-of-underground-gas-lines-pipes-in-2026-oak-cliff-apartment-explosion-dallas-atmos
  3. Texas Reports Thousands of Pipeline Strikes Amid Gas Leak Concerns — Pipeline & Gas Journal, June 2026 — https://pgjonline.com/news/2026/june/texas-reports-thousands-of-pipeline-strikes-amid-gas-leak-concerns

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