PCCA encourages all of its members to submit data into the Common Ground Alliance's annual DIRT (Damage Information and Reporting Tool) Report, a document that estimates and analyzes damages to buried utilities across the country.

The March 31 deadline to submit 2020 DIRT data is fast approaching. CGA encourages submissions to be made as soon as possible so that you can be a part of the damage prevention story. Submit your 2020 damage or near-miss data by visiting www.identity.cga-dirt.com. If this is your first time submitting to DIRT, click here to register for an account.

“Anybody who puts a blade, bucket, or bore head in the ground should be submitting to DIRT,” said PCCA Past Chairman John Fluharty, who serves on the CGA Board of Directors. “The 2018 DIRT Report said that excavators are responsible for approximately 75 percent of all damages to underground utilities. Does that sound right to you?”

“What can we do about the inaccurate portrayal of what's really happening on jobs across the country? Tell our story! And the way to best tell our story is by submitting our data to the DIRT Report,” he continued. “It's simple: either tell your own story or have someone else tell stories about you.”

To ensure you are submitting the most complete and accurate data possible, be sure to read DIRT Program Manager Steve Blaney’s guide to common DIRT submission mistakes. CGA also created short video tutorials for stakeholders on how to upload a single report and how to bulk upload damage data.