In 2023, Common Ground Alliance issued a challenge to states to reduce damages 50% in five years. That is an ambitious goal! However, Missouri 811 has accepted this challenge and beginning with our new year we will look to keep reducing, and monitoring, the number of “damages” in Missouri.
When I accepted this challenge, the first thing that came to reality was, “How many damages do we have?” It has always somewhat baffled me where organizations get their numbers, especially when broad statements are made about damages and how many there are. In fact, I could find no formal counting of damages. Many look to the D.I.R.T. Report, but that is voluntary and is skewed in that manner. I’ve seen references to other “reports”, but they had no explanation as to how they arrived at their numbers. Others speak about allowing for unreported damages. I like simple and common sense. In Missouri, the number of damages that are reported to the notification center comes by way of our “Dig Up” tickets. That is a stable resource reliable in its action in Missouri and that is the baseline by which we will begin our measure. Therefore, in 2023 Missouri had 14,562 Dig Up tickets out of the total 1,140,929 locate request tickets processed.
Is it possible to reduce that to 7,281 Dig Up tickets by the close of 2028? Yes. Is it probable to reduce that to 7,281 Dig Up tickets by the close of 2028? I would say no, not probable. We must start with a goal, and anything achieved towards that goal is an improvement.
Safe digging is up to us.
As always, my service to you will improve with your input. Please contact me at any time with your thoughts and ideas.
