Damage Prevention Act
This reproduction of the Code of Virginia – the Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act, and Rules for Enforcement – is provided solely as a convenience for the person or persons reading this content and is not to be used as a legal reference document.
Rules for Enforcement of the Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act
Penalties & Liabilities
Please see the Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act, § 56-265.17.A., § 56-265.19.D. and § 56-265.25. Liability of operator and excavator; penalties.
Excavator Manual/Marking Standards Manual
Here are links to PDF files of the Virginia Professional Excavator’s Manual and the Virginia Underground Utility Marking Standards.
Positive Response Codes
The Positive Response Codes are approved by the Damage Prevention Advisory Committee and used by utilities and locators to update the status of marking of ticket requests.
FCC Notice Regarding Legacy Copper-Based Telephone Service
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is reviewing applications from Verizon entities in nine states, including Virginia, seeking authorization to discontinue certain legacy Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) provided over copper infrastructure using time-division multiplexing (TDM) technology.
POTS is a traditional telephone service that uses older copper-based infrastructure and TDM technology to provide voice service. This legacy technology is increasingly being replaced by newer internet- and IP-based communications services.
According to the FCC, the use of these legacy POTS services represents less than 2.25% of subscribers in the affected states. The applications consider whether customers currently using these services have access to adequate alternative communications options.
The FCC’s review also recognizes several challenges associated with maintaining legacy copper infrastructure, including:
- Limited capacity to support modern communications needs
- Aging infrastructure that can be costly to maintain
- Increased vulnerability to damage and theft
The states included in the applications are Arizona, Delaware, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia.
Virginia 811 is sharing this information as a resource for Members and stakeholders who may have questions about the potential changes to legacy telephone services and related infrastructure in Virginia.
For additional information regarding the FCC’s review and its broader efforts related to communications infrastructure, please visit the FCC’s Build America Agenda.