Damages to buried infrastructure in North America are on the rise. Every year, Common Ground Alliance releases a comprehensive report based on its Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT). The most recent DIRT Report indicates that total damages increased 4.5% year-over-year to 532,000. The societal costs of damages to buried utilities in the U.S. is estimated at $30 billion for the year, which includes both direct costs, like facility repair, and indirect costs, such as property damage, medical bills and businesses being unable to operate.