Press Releases
04/01/2025
Governor Lamont Declares April 2025 Call Before You Dig Month
(New Britain, CT – April 1, 2025) – The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA or the Authority) today announces Governor Ned Lamont has issued a proclamation declaring April 2025 as “Call Before You Dig Month” in Connecticut to remind residents and contractors about the importance of calling 811 or visiting www.CBYD.com at least 48 hours before starting any digging project.
By law, any individual, contractor, utility, or public agency planning to excavate using power or mechanized equipment must notify Call Before you Dig, Inc. (CBYD) at least two full business days prior to digging. CBYD then notifies all owners and operators of buried utilities of an intent to dig to ensure lines, cables, pipes, and conduits can be properly located and marked by the standardized color-coding system.
The free program helps protect water, natural gas, sewer, and telecommunications infrastructure and prevent serious injuries, fires and explosions, utility outages and costly repairs.
PURA's Gas Pipeline Safety Unit oversees all CBYD activity across Connecticut and may open an investigation and impose fines for any party who violates the statutes and regulations. In 2023, PURA found 80 total violations at 828 CBYD inspections that amounted to approximately $1.4 million in civil penalties.
In recent years, failure to notify the 811-call center remained the largest individual root cause of damages to underground infrastructure in the U.S. and Canada, according to a report by North American trade association Common Ground Alliance. In 2022, the most recent year on record, there were more than 233,000 reported damages and near misses in the U.S. Natural gas and telecommunications facilities incurred more than half of those damages and near misses, the report said.
To learn more, visit PURA’s CBYD webpage or watch this instructional video about the CBYD program.
View Governor Lamont’s declaration here.
Contact
Taren O'Connor
Director of Legislation, Regulation and Communication
860-827-2689
Taren.Oconnor@ct.gov