We’re leading the way in damage prevention

As we all know, construction is a common sight around Colorado Springs. Whether it’s our crews installing utility lines, a fiber network project, storm drain work, or a homeowner installing a fence post, our Damage Prevention Program is crucial.

Our goal? To prevent damage to underground utility lines—be it natural gas, electric, water or wastewater.

Here’s why preventing damage to our underground infrastructure is so important:

1. Safety: Damaged underground utility lines pose safety risks to our customers, the construction crew that caused the damage and our employees who need to make repairs.
2. Cost: As a community-owned, not-for-profit utility, emergency repair costs are covered by rates. While we have mechanisms to recover these costs, identifying the responsible party isn’t always straightforward.
3. Reliability: Damage to our underground infrastructure affects reliability. We pride ourselves on reliable utility services, so we work closely with private contractors to help avoid any damaged lines.

We’re leading the way in damage prevention with an enforceable program. Depending on the incident and past damages, we impose mandatory fines and cost reimbursements on the responsible party.

While enforcement is a strong deterrent, we focus heavily on education to prevent incidents. In 2024, we’ve partnered with over 1,700 people and 240 companies, working together to educate their employees on proper digging practices to avoid damaging lines. Our Damage Prevention Enforcement Program, in place since 2021, has made significant strides in 2024.

Last year was busy—we had a 5% increase in the number of services located. Even with this increase, we saw a 20% decrease in damages for every 10,000 services located. We also conducted 176 educational field visits and saw a 48% decrease in damages when excavators did not pothole correctly. Education is a major part of our program.

Although we can enforce strict measures, we find that building relationships with local excavators and contractors has the greatest impact. We’re pleased that 95% of our partners view us as approachable.

Remember, our Damage Prevention Program is enhancing the safety, cost-efficiency and reliability of our utilities. For any questions, concerns or proactive education requests, please reach out to our team at DamagePreventionInfo@csu.org. And don’t forget—call 811 before you dig!