Clarksville, TN – Spring digging season is here, and it’s a busy one. In observance of April as National Safe Digging Month, the Clarksville Gas and Water Department (CGW) is reminding everyone to contact 811 before breaking ground this season – and a new national survey shows just how high the stakes are. Nearly three in four American homeowners (74%) plan to tackle an outdoor project involving digging this spring, translating to an estimated more than 60 million households breaking ground across the country.
Concerningly, an estimated 10 million+ homeowners plan to dig without first contacting 811 – the designated call-before-you-dig service that helps prevent dangerous and costly utility strikes. Striking an underground utility line – whether gas, water, sewer, electric or communications – can cause serious injury, service disruptions for entire neighborhoods and repair bills that could outpace any DIY savings. In addition, utilities are often shallower than people expect.
Buried lines may be just inches below the surface, well within reach of a garden spade or fence post. “I strongly encourage everyone to call 811 for this free service,” said Troy Jones. “We love our community and are committed to providing utilities to residents in the safest form imaginable,” said Jones.
The survey also found that the most common reason homeowners skip contacting 811 is assuming their project is too shallow to pose a risk – a misconception that continues to put people and property in harm’s way. From planting a tree to installing a mailbox to setting up a backyard fence, no digging project is exempt from the risk of hitting an underground utility. Safe Digging Steps for Homeowners To prevent utility damage and ensure safety, Clarksville Gas & Water urges homeowners to follow these key steps before starting any digging project: Contact 811 a minimum of three working days before digging—regardless of the project size or depth.
Plan ahead—Submit a free 811 request early in the week for weekend projects, ensuring enough time for marking. Confirm all utility lines are marked before beginning work. Adjust project plans if necessary—Consider relocating projects if they are too close to marked utility lines.
Verify 811 contact with hired contractors—Ensure they have requested utility markings before any work begins. Learn more at www. 811beforeyoudig.
com or Tennessee 811 at, www. tenn811. com.
“I encourage everyone planning a digging project to take just a few minutes to make a free call to 811 to prevent a disruption of critical utility services or a disaster,” said Mark Riggins, Clarksville Gas and Water General Manager. “There is no project too small to warrant that call and keep our utilities connected and our community safe,” said Riggins. About Common Ground Alliance CGA is a member-driven association of nearly 4,000 damage prevention professionals spanning every facet of the underground utility industry.
Established in 2000, CGA is committed to saving lives and preventing damage to North American underground infrastructure by promoting effective damage prevention practices. CGA has established itself as the preeminent source of damage prevention data and information in an effort to reduce damages to underground facilities in North America through shared responsibility among all stakeholders. For more information, visit CGA on the web at www.
commongroundalliance. com. About the Survey Online survey among 619 US Homeowners, aged 18+ fielded between Feb.
26-27, 2026. The survey was conducted by SurveyMonkey Audience on behalf of CGA. The margin of error based on a 95% confidence level is +/- 4%.
About Clarksville Gas and Water Clarksville Gas and Water is proud to safely and efficiently deliver natural gas, water, and sewer services to the citizens of Clarksville-Montgomery County by a courteous and professional team of knowledgeable employees. Natural gas service is also provided to Robertson and Cheatham counties in Tennessee, Christian and Todd counties in Kentucky and to the Fort Campbell, Kentucky military installation. CGW is also home to the City Engineering Office that provides expert design and support for water and sewer system capital improvement projects.
Clarksville Gas and Water Department’s main office is located at 2215 Madison Street, Clarksville, Tennessee. The phone is 931. 645.
7400. Hours are am-pm Monday-Friday. For an emergency after hours, call 931.
645. 0116, pm-am Weekends and Holidays. For more information about Clarksville Gas and Water, visit their website at www.
clarksvillegw.