National Underground Asset Register (NUAR)

About NUAR

The Geospatial Commission, part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, is building a digital map of underground pipes and cables that will revolutionise the way we install, maintain, operate and repair our buried infrastructure - the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR).

Once operational, NUAR is envisaged to deliver £490 million per year of economic growth through increased efficiency, reduced asset strikes (when underground pipes and cables are accidentally damaged) and reduced disruptions for the public and businesses.

The emerging service is improving the efficiency and safety of underground works by providing secure access to privately and publicly owned location data about the pipes and cables beneath our feet. The digital map gives planners and excavators standardised access to the data they need, when they need it, to carry out their work effectively and safely. It also includes features to keep data secure and improve its quality over time.

An initial private BETA version of NUAR, also called the ‘minimum viable product’ (MVP), is live across England and Wales. The MVP includes all core functionality to meet the ‘safe dig’ use case, allowing users to both plan for future adoption and provide valuable feedback to enhance the service further. It includes data from all of the major energy and water providers, such as Welsh Water, Cadent Gas and UK Power Networks, several major telecommunications companies, including CityFibre and Virgin Media O2, as well as smaller providers of these services, transport organisations and local authorities. Find more about the NUAR ‘MVP’

Find out more:

In the video below, we provide an introduction to NUAR and its objectives:

NUAR explainer

In the video below, we provide a demonstration of the NUAR platform and its features:

NUAR platform

Current work

• The NUAR service will continue to be iteratively enhanced in line with user feedback, the MVP coverage will be expanded to Northern Ireland by spring 2024, and the platform will be fully operational by the end of 2025
• Measures are being sought in Parliament to update existing legislation, taking advantage of opportunities provided by data and technology advancements, to simplify and expedite the process by which asset data is shared
• A discovery project is underway to explore the potential for increased economic growth that could be realised through widening access to the vital national asset, including opportunities for the wider market

Getting involved

Contact us

If you work for a utility, telecommunications company or transport / local authority in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you can reach out to the team in the following ways: 

• If your organisation is not fully signed up to NUAR yet, contact our onboarding team by completing our asset owner onboarding form

• If your organisation is fully signed up to NUAR, you can email our Service Desk with any questions at Nuar.Support@atkinsrealis.com

For media enquiries, please email us at geospatial.commission@dsit.gov.uk. For all other queries, please email our Service Desk at Nuar.Support@atkinsrealis.com