NUAR is helping to make buried infrastructure safer to manage

Every day, essential work takes place beneath our feet. Utilities, telecoms, transport, housing, construction, and local services all depend on being able to install, maintain, operate and repair buried infrastructure safely and efficiently.

Here, the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) helps authorised users access underground asset data, by giving them a clearer view of what is beneath the ground before work begins. Which enables better decisions, stronger risk awareness, and a more consistent approach to safe digging.

This was the focus of Ordnance Survey’s session at GEO Business: “How NUAR boosts safe, efficient infrastructure management." GEO Business brings together the geospatial community to explore how location data and technology are driving smarter decision-making across sectors. It is a valuable platform for sharing real-world examples of geospatial innovation, and NUAR is a strong example of location intelligence being applied to a practical national challenge.

The challenge beneath the surface

The UK has more than four million kilometres of buried pipes and cables, held by around 600+ asset owners. These networks keep homes, businesses and public services running, but they also create a complex underground environment. Each year, there are around 60,000 accidental strikes on underground assets, with an estimated annual cost of £2.4 billion.

The consequences are not only financial. Asset strikes can create safety risks, disrupt communities, delay projects, and put pressure on organisations that are already working to deliver essential infrastructure and services.

Traditionally, accessing underground asset information could be slow and inconsistent. Data might arrive from multiple asset owners, in different formats, with different styling and varying levels of detail. In some cases, gathering and preparing the information needed for safe digging could take more than six days.

NUAR has already begun improving processes, by bringing asset data together in a secure, standardised digital service. It gives authorised users instant access to a map of underground pipes and cables across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Scotland has its own system, VAULT, and work is continuing to explore closer alignment between the systems.

A standardised view of underground assets

NUAR is a government digital service, designed to improve the efficiency of the way buried infrastructure is installed, maintained, operated, and repaired. Data comes from both public and private sector asset owners, and the service is available securely to authorised users.

Today, around 80% of known underground pipes and cables are represented on the service. This speeds up users access to underground asset information, with consistent data and styling.

When users can see underground assets in context, they can better understand risks, how work might need to be planned, and which asset owners may need to be involved.

NUAR is intended to compliment the current safe digging practices, not replace them. Users must still follow HSG47 and relevant asset-owner guidance. NUAR strengthens existing practice by adding a powerful data layer that supports better planning, awareness, early risk assessment, and site reconnaissance.

Adoption is already underway

Adoption of NUAR is growing across sectors. Asset owners and authorised street works contractors can access the service, with access controlled by the asset owners themselves. Government has also signalled its intention to legislate asset owners to share their data, helping increase coverage and consistency over time.

The platform is already being used by recognised organisations across utilities, telecoms, transport, and the wider infrastructure sector. Openreach data has been live in NUAR since November 2025, addressing one of the most common questions from users and reflecting the growing maturity of the service.

Successful adoption, however, also depends on confidence, training, and support. NUAR adoption activity includes sector roadshows, working groups, outreach events, hands-on support, workshops, webinars and best-practice sharing. There is also active work with supply chain contractors to support onboarding and help connect them with the relevant asset owners.

Customer case studies: from days to minutes

Southern Gas Networks (SGN) identified that data gaps were creating challenges in safe digging processes, including increased safety risks during planning and works. Through collaboration with OS, SGN trialled NUAR and explored how instant access to more than 380 asset owner datasets could support its teams.

The impact was significant: activity that had previously taken days, particularly around planning and early site risk assessment, could be reduced to minutes. Following the success of the pilot, SGN moved towards wider rollout across different teams and user groups, with the OS NUAR Adoption providing ongoing support. You can read the full case study here.

Other organisations are seeing similar potential. Lincolnshire County Council has said that NUAR could help streamline processes and provide time and efficiency savings of approximately 75% when fully in use. Northumbrian Water Group has highlighted the value of a shared, unified approach to safe digging practices across partners.

Continuing to evolve

The NUAR service is continuing to develop; new technology capabilities are being shaped by user feedback and the evolving needs of the sector.

One example is the Linear Tool, developed in response to users who wanted to draw a route and quickly understand underground assets within that chosen area. The tool allows users to draw a route of up to two miles, or 3.2 kilometres, and, depending on permissions, view assets up to 25 metres either side. This will be particularly useful for planning linear works and supporting early-stage risk assessment.

Another development is a notification service. The first element of this capability went live in December and enables asset owners to access a report which shows who has done searches and drawn areas of interest that include their data. Active notifications are in development - with this functionality a user will be able to specify their area of interest and choose to send a notification to affected asset owners.

Safer, more efficient infrastructure management

Buried infrastructure is essential to modern life, and improving how organisations access and use underground asset data can help reduce risk, avoid unnecessary delays and support more efficient delivery of works.

NUAR is a clear example of the value of authoritative geospatial data in action. It brings together location, infrastructure and digital service design to solve a practical problem: helping people understand what is underground before they dig.

As adoption grows and new capabilities are added, NUAR has the potential to become a vital part of how the UK manages buried infrastructure.