The public is set to benefit from reduced disruptions to essential public services with Ordnance Survey (OS) being announced as the future operator of the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR).

NUAR is improving the efficiency and safety of the way contractors install, maintain, operate and repair our buried infrastructure by providing secure access to data about the water, gas, electricity and telecommunications pipes and cables beneath the UK's streets. 

Currently workers must contact multiple organisations and wait on average over six days just to get the information they need. With NUAR, they can get that information instantly, any time of the day, any day of the year. This means planners and excavators get access to the data they need, when they need it, to carry out their work effectively and safely. NUAR also includes features to keep data secure and improve its quality over time. 

The Geospatial Commission will retain long-term policy and performance oversight of the service. The OS Board has agreed to operate NUAR as part of its public task and on a cost-recovery basis. In the upcoming months, the services will begin transitioning from AtkinsRéalis, who collaborated with the Geospatial Commission to develop the award-winning NUAR minimum viable product, to OS.

Plans are in place for NUAR to evolve from its current status as a minimum viable product, where use is constrained to testing and feedback, into a public beta service by spring. From that point NUAR will be able to be used in real-life situations by any eligible asset owners, their contractors and accredited surveyors to help ensure safe digging and excavation.

We will ensure this service can deliver for the public and industry

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said: "We are committed to unlocking the power of data to reduce disruptions to the public and help deliver economic growth across the UK. From spring, NUAR will minimise the chance of accidental damage to the pipes and cables beneath our feet, protecting the supply of gas, water and electricity to our homes and businesses. 

"By harnessing the Ordnance Survey's centuries of expertise in managing critical national geographic data, we will ensure this service can deliver for the public and industry from Newcastle to Newport and Brighton to Belfast."

Nick Bolton, CEO, Ordnance Survey, said: "We are excited to apply our expertise in mapping Great Britain above ground, to the infrastructure below it. This innovative digital map shows how collaboration, between private sector and government, can bring huge economic benefits to the nation. Being trusted to operate a critical national asset, such as NUAR, is a recognition of our enduring capabilities, and we are delighted to be responsible for running this service."