A semiconductor structure is provided that includes a semiconductor on insulator (SOI) substrate comprising a bottom semiconductor layer, an epitaxial semiconductor layer present on the bottom semiconductor layer, a buried insulator layer present on the epitaxial semiconductor layer, and a top semiconductor layer present on the buried insulator layer. A deep trench moat (DTMOAT) is disposed in the SOI substrate and has a bottom surface contacting a dopant region of the bottom semiconductor layer. A moat contact electrically connecting the DTMOAT to the epitaxial semiconductor layer of the SOI substrate. Charges accumulated in the DTMOAT can be discharged through the heavily doped epitaxial semiconductor layer to ground, thus preventing the DTMOAT failure caused by the process-induced charge accumulation.