Underground Damage Prevention

The Division is responsible for administering the Underground Utility Damage Prevention Program to ensure public safety and minimize damage to underground facilities. Third party excavation continues to be the number one cause of damages to underground facilities in New Hampshire and the rest of the country. Although the economy was sluggish during the biennium, New Hampshire experienced a 56% increase in calls into the DigSafe center, reflecting strong construction activity. In the previous biennium, the Division processed 435 reports of damages to underground facilities. During the recent biennium, there was a 51% increase in reports to 657. In processing these reports, 213 informal conferences were generated.

The Division sponsored three Dig Safe® damage prevention seminars state-wide with over 500 participants in attendance. In addition, a seminar for operators of liquid propane facilities was sponsored to educate them on the damage prevention law as it applies to the majority of their facilities on private property. Included in this seminar were new federal regulations regarding Operator Qualifications which took effect October 2002.

For more information see Education and Training.

Before beginning your excavation, contact the Road Agent or Public Works Dept. in the community where you intend to dig.  For a current list of municipal officials click here:  http://www.nh.gov/dot/org/projectdevelopment/planning/documents/NHOfficialsDirectory.pdf