Common Ground Alliance Hosts Record-Breaking 2026 Conference & Expo

The Common Ground Alliance (CGA) concluded its 2026 Conference & Expo in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The event brought together more than 1,400 damage-prevention leaders for the nation’s largest gathering focused on protecting buried utility infrastructure and the people who work around it.

Why Damage Prevention Matters

Across the U.S., buried natural gas, electric, water and communications lines are damaged by digging nearly 200,000 times each year—an impact CGA estimates at more than $30 billion annually. With more than 30 million miles of underground infrastructure beneath communities, each strike can trigger consequences. These range from service disruptions (including 911 outages) to road collapses, water main breaks, explosions, injuries, and fatalities.

Conference Focus: Collaboration, Safety Culture & Technology

Under the theme “Charting the Future of Damage Prevention,” CGA convened all 15 stakeholder groups involved in excavation near buried utilities. These included utility owners and operators, oil and gas pipeline companies, excavators and contractors, equipment manufacturers, state 811 call centers, regulators, and locating and mapping technology providers. Their goal was to align on practices that reduce risk and protect essential infrastructure. The conference also reinforced April’s National Safe Digging Month message. Professionals and homeowners alike should contact 811 before every dig so lines can be located and marked.

CGA President and CEO Sarah K. Magruder Lyle emphasized that preventing utility damage “requires everyone at the table,” noting that consequences “range from costly service disruptions to lost lives.” Federal perspectives included participation from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). In addition, remarks were delivered to CGA leadership by former State Senator Dennis Hisey (district director for U.S. Representative Jeff Crank) and PHMSA Deputy Administrator Ben Kochman.

Keynotes featured Patrick T. Warren, director within the NTSB’s Office of Railroad, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Investigations, who highlighted how oversight and recommendations translate into best practices. Garrison Wynn, a chemical plant explosion survivor and business leader, also addressed how organizations build lasting cultures of safety.

Education, Expo Hall & Industry Recognition

The event delivered more than 35 interactive education sessions spanning AI in damage prevention, pipeline safety and regulatory enforcement, excavator training, locate technology, workforce culture, and the evolving role of federal and state policy.

Attendees also participated in hands-on experiences including locating training, a live CGA Excavator Training Showcase, a Soft Dig Central demonstration, and a Mapping in Motion mobile classroom. In the Expo Hall, nearly 100,000 sq ft of exhibits highlighted tools for safer digging and more accurate locating and mapping. These tools included GPS-enabled ground-penetrating radar, vacuum excavation systems using compressed air or high-pressure water, and cloud-enabled handheld subsurface mapping equipment.

The CGA also recognized industry leadership: Badger Infrastructure Solutions received the President’s Award of Corporate Excellence; Terry Fordham (UtiliQuest) was inducted into the CGA Hall of Fame; and Kurt Young (NUCA) received the Groundbreaker Award.

CGA announced the 2027 Conference & Expo will be held April 12–15, 2027, at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida.

SOURCE – Common Ground Alliance

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