Utility Damage Is Rising While Infrastructure Construction Accelerates. Hydrovac Has Never Mattered More.

Utility Damage Is Rising While Infrastructure Construction Accelerates. Hydrovac Has Never Mattered More.
Written by the HydroVacFinder Editorial Team
Publisher: HydroVacFinder.com
Published: October 11, 2026
Across the United States, an enormous amount of infrastructure is being built.
Data centers.
Power infrastructure.
Fiber networks.
Utility upgrades.
Road projects.
Industrial facilities.
Transmission and distribution systems.
Underground construction.
For the hydrovac industry, that creates opportunity.
But it also creates responsibility.
Because as more construction takes place around increasingly congested underground infrastructure, preventing damage to buried utilities becomes even more important.
And the latest industry numbers should get everyone's attention.
Buried Utility Damage Reached a Record Level
The Common Ground Alliance's latest Damage Information Reporting Tool data analyzed 221,717 unique underground utility damage reports from 2025.
The organization's CGA Index, which tracks damage trends, reached its highest level since the index was established.
In other words:
Despite years of damage-prevention education, technology improvements, 811 awareness, locating advancements and safer excavation practices, buried utility damage remains a serious industry problem. Trenchless Technology
That matters to:

• Utility owners
• Excavators
• General contractors
• Municipalities
• Project managers
• Underground contractors
• Hydrovac companies
• Anyone responsible for keeping construction moving safely
  The industry is building more infrastructure.
  But we have to build it without damaging what is already underground.
  At the Same Time, Construction Is Changing
  The volume and type of construction happening across the country is also changing rapidly.
  One of the clearest examples is data-center construction.
  U.S. data-center construction reached an annualized rate of approximately $85 billion in August 2026, an increase of more than 73% from the previous year.
  Private power construction was also up approximately 9.7% year over year. KPMG
  Those projects require more than buildings.
  They require:
  Power.
  Fiber.
  Water.
  Sewer.
  Communication infrastructure.
  Transmission.
  Distribution.
  Road access.
  Underground utilities.
  And every time new infrastructure crosses or approaches existing facilities, contractors need to understand exactly what is beneath the ground before excavation begins.
  That is where the hydrovac industry has an important role to play.
  Hydro Excavation Is Part of the Damage-Prevention Strategy
  Hydrovac excavation is not simply another way to remove soil.
  Used correctly, it can be an important part of exposing and verifying underground infrastructure before conventional excavation proceeds.
  The Common Ground Alliance has identified vacuum excavation as an appropriate excavation method around underground facilities within tolerance zones when used in accordance with applicable requirements and safe practices. Common Ground Alliance
  That does not eliminate the need for:
• 811 notification
• Accurate locating
• Proper markings
• Jobsite planning
• Safe excavation procedures
• Qualified operators
• Applicable state requirements
  Hydrovac does not replace the damage-prevention process.
  It strengthens it.
  A properly planned potholing or daylighting program can help crews physically verify what is underground before larger excavation equipment starts moving dirt.
  And in today's construction environment, that verification matters.
  The Cost of Getting It Wrong Goes Far Beyond the Repair
  A damaged underground facility can create much more than an invoice.
  A strike can mean:
  Project delays.
  Utility outages.
  Emergency response.
  Traffic disruption.
  Environmental consequences.
  Lost productivity.
  Reputational damage.
  Potential injuries.
  Or worse.
  That is why the question for project teams should not simply be:
  “Can we excavate here?”
  It should be:
  “Do we know exactly what we are excavating around?”
  Hydrovac can help answer that question.
  Demand Is Not Always Where Your Existing Relationships Are
  There is another challenge.
  Major infrastructure projects do not always happen inside a hydrovac company's normal operating territory.
  A contractor headquartered in one state may suddenly win work three states away.
  A utility may need crews across several regions simultaneously.
  A general contractor may need additional hydrovac capacity because an existing provider cannot cover the schedule.
  A data-center project may require multiple trucks for months.
  An emergency project may need somebody tomorrow.
  That means the industry increasingly needs something beyond a list of companies.
  It needs a way to identify:
  Who works here?
  What can they do?
  What equipment do they operate?
  What qualifications do they maintain?
  Will they travel?
  Are they available?
  And:
  How do I get the project in front of them quickly?
  That is exactly the problem HydroVacFinder is being built to solve.
  HydroVacFinder Helps Turn Demand Into Connections
  HydroVacFinder was originally created around a simple idea:
  Help contractors find hydrovac companies.
  That mission becomes even more important as infrastructure investment spreads across the country.
  Project teams can use HydroVacFinder to identify providers by geography and better understand the companies operating within or willing to serve a project area.
  Listed companies can communicate information such as:
• Service territories
• Equipment
• Capabilities
• Qualifications
• Emergency availability
• Specialty services
• Company experience
  Customers can then move from searching toward contacting providers, requesting service or submitting an RFQ.
  The purpose is not to decide which contractor should perform the work.
  It is to make the right companies easier to find when the work needs to happen.
  Capacity Will Matter
  One of the consequences of large infrastructure programs is that demand can become concentrated.
  A major utility project may suddenly absorb several trucks.
  A data-center build may require multiple contractors.
  Storm restoration can change availability overnight.
  Large projects can pull equipment out of surrounding markets.
  That makes visibility and accurate availability increasingly important.
  A project manager should not have to start from scratch every time additional hydrovac capacity is needed.
  And a qualified hydrovac company with available equipment should have more ways to become visible to the people looking for that capacity.
  That is where HydroVacFinder can help both sides of the marketplace.
  Hydrovac Companies Should Be Preparing Now
  For providers, the current environment creates an opportunity.
  But being qualified is not enough if nobody knows you are available.
  Hydrovac companies should make sure potential customers can quickly understand:
• Where you work
• How far you travel
• How many trucks you operate
• What types of units you operate
• Whether emergency service is available
• Which contractor qualification systems you participate in
• What industries you serve
• What specialized capabilities you offer
  If infrastructure construction continues shifting toward data centers, power, utility modernization and underground networks, hydrovac companies that clearly communicate their capabilities will be better positioned to participate.
  The work may not come from the same customers you have always worked for.
  And it may not happen in the same markets.
  Finding the Provider Is Only Part of the Challenge
  The next phase of HydroVacFinder also recognizes something hydrovac companies already know:
  Getting the truck to the project is only the beginning.
  Crews working outside their normal territory may need:
• Disposal and offload options
• Water resources
• Mobile diesel repair
• Hydraulic hose repair
• Heavy-duty tire service
• Wrecker support
• Other local jobsite resources
  That is part of the reasoning behind Swamper Clyde™, HydroVacFinder's AI-powered hydrovac jobsite planning assistant.
  HydroVacFinder has been evolving from a company locator into a broader resource intended to support the industry before the job, during the job and when crews are working outside their normal territory. Hydro Vac Finder
  The direction remains:
  Get Found. Get Booked. Stay Moving.
  Technology Does Not Replace Good Damage Prevention
  There is an important point here.
  AI cannot prevent a utility strike by itself.
  A website cannot prevent one.
  A hydrovac truck cannot prevent one simply by arriving at the jobsite.
  Damage prevention still requires people doing the fundamentals correctly:
  Planning the work.
  Calling 811.
  Reviewing markings.
  Communicating with utility owners.
  Following applicable laws and tolerance-zone requirements.
  Using trained operators.
  Selecting appropriate excavation methods.
  Stopping when conditions do not match expectations.
  Technology should support those practices—not replace them.
  That is also why the latest CGA numbers matter.
  The industry does not have a single problem with a single solution.
  It has a coordination problem.
  And better coordination between utility owners, excavators, locators, contractors and specialized providers is going to become even more important as construction activity expands.
  CGA's 2025 data also showed that excavators participating in its Damage Prevention Institute reduced their damage rate by more than 11% between 2023 and 2025, an indication that consistent application of established damage-prevention practices can make a measurable difference. LinkedIn
  More Infrastructure Creates More Opportunity — and More Responsibility
  The hydrovac industry is positioned directly in the middle of one of the biggest infrastructure transformations happening in the country.
  Billions are being invested.
  Data-center construction is accelerating.
  Power infrastructure is expanding.
  Fiber continues to grow.
  Utilities are being replaced and upgraded.
  Cities are rebuilding aging infrastructure.
  At the same time, underground utility damages remain at unacceptable levels.
  That creates both an opportunity and an obligation for the hydrovac industry.
  The opportunity is obvious:
  More underground infrastructure can mean more demand for safe, precise excavation.
  The obligation is just as important:
  Do the work correctly.
  Train operators.
  Follow damage-prevention practices.
  Communicate clearly.
  Know what is underground.
  And make qualified providers easier for project teams to find.
  The Industry Is Growing. Make Sure Your Company Can Be Found.
  A contractor preparing for a large infrastructure project may not already know your company.
  A utility expanding into a new region may not know who operates there.
  A superintendent may suddenly need another hydrovac truck.
  A project manager may need a qualified provider tomorrow.
  That is why HydroVacFinder exists.
  Not to replace relationships.
  To create new ones.
  Not to replace damage-prevention practices.
  To make the companies capable of supporting those practices easier to find.
  And not simply to list hydrovac companies.
  To help connect a growing infrastructure market with the people and equipment capable of serving it.
  Get Found. Get Booked. Stay Moving.
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