Utility Partners of America (UPA) hosted the SC811 Legislation Update & Utility Safety Summit on February 11, 2026, at The Vault at Taylors Mill in Taylors, South Carolina. The event brought together more than 100 utility leaders, contractors, municipalities, cooperatives, and industry partners to discuss updates to South Carolina’s 811 laws under HB3571, which takes effect in May 2026.
The summit was free and open to the broader utility community, not limited to UPA customers or partners. UPA organized the event to address a gap in industry awareness of the new legislation. As the regulatory environment has evolved, many organizations working in and around underground infrastructure have lacked a clear, accessible resource to understand what the changes require and how to remain compliant.
“The laws keep changing. Our goal is to help everyone do a better job, not just our customers, but the entire industry.”– Todd Stone, President & Founder, Utility Partners of America
Safety as an Operating Standard
UPA Safety Manager Justin Bratcher opened the program with a safety moment focused on the operational conditions that lead to underground incidents. Bratcher addressed what the data and field experience both confirm: most underground incidents are not caused by crews that didn’t know the rules. They are caused by crews that stopped applying them.
The presentation emphasized stop-work authority, verification over assumption, and the role of leadership in setting safety expectations, not just field teams. Safety performance, Bratcher noted, reflects the standard that organizations actually enforce, not just the standard they document.
UPA has built safety into its core operations across all service lines, from meter installation and electric distribution to private locating and underground infrastructure work. The company’s safety record and operational model reflect 29 years of experience working in and around utility infrastructure across the United States.
The Underground Infrastructure Outlook
Todd Stone addressed the longer-term context for why events like this one matter. An estimated 92% of metropolitan infrastructure in the United States will be underground by 2050, compared to approximately 18% today. Communication, fiber, gas, water, and electric systems are all expanding below grade. As that volume increases, so does the importance of getting locate, response, and excavation procedures right on every job.
UPA’s private locating division provides targeted underground programs, asset documentation, and post-project quality assurance verification. These services directly address the locate accuracy and accountability gaps that contribute to the damage rates South Carolina is currently experiencing.
SC 811 Law Changes
Misty Wise, Director of South Carolina 811, presented the details of HB3571 and the data behind the urgency. Excavator damages in South Carolina rose 35% year-over-year. Enforcement actions increased 113%, from 158 to 302 in a single year. On-time response rates for locate notices declined from 59% to 53.9%, while no-shows increased by approximately 100,000 notices annually.
The new law updates definitions across the board, expanding what qualifies as excavation, broadening the definition of operator to include fiber providers and those serving commercial or multi-family properties, and tightening pre-marking requirements. Emergency locate procedures have also been updated: operators must now respond within 3 hours, and misuse of the emergency designation carries penalties. Large projects, those exceeding 90 days or one mile in length, face new advance notice and pre-construction coordination requirements.
Civil penalties increase to up to $5,000 per violation under the standard structure, with gross negligence violations, including covering damage, destroying locate markers, or willful violations, subject to fines up to $25,000. Complaints must be filed within 45 days of the alleged violation and are investigated by a Complaint Resolution Committee before any escalation to the Attorney General’s Office.
Kareem Boykin, Public Awareness Liaison for SC811, was also on hand to support the presentation and answer attendees’ questions about the practical application of the new requirements.
Sponsor Support
The summit was supported by Axe Workwear, United Rentals, Milwaukee Tool, and American Safety Utility Corporation. Each sponsor contributed to the event and participated directly in the program, reinforcing the value they see in community-focused industry education, particularly in rural and underserved markets where compliance resources are not always readily available.
UPA is proud to support South Carolina’s utility community as it prepares for the changes ahead. The company will continue to seek opportunities to bring the industry together around safety, compliance, and the shared goal of protecting the infrastructure communities depend on.
For more information about UPA’s private locating services, utility infrastructure capabilities, or upcoming industry events, visit utilitypartners.com or contact us directly.
To learn more about SC811 and the new laws taking affect visit sc811.com
Utility Partners of America (UPA), a System One company, was founded in 1997 and is a leading provider of Project Management, Construction Management, Operations, Maintenance, and Professional Services. UPA partners with utilities and energy cooperatives throughout the United States to build, inspect, maintain, and upgrade the nation’s utility infrastructure.
