Guidance

National Underground Asset Register (NUAR)

Information on the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR).

From:
Government Digital Service, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Geospatial Commission
Published
22 March 2022
Last updated
27 April 2026 — See all updates

Applies to England, Northern Ireland and Wales

About NUAR

GDS:Geospatial, part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, has built a digital map of underground pipes and cables in England, Wales and Northern Ireland - the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR).

NUAR is improving the efficiency and safety of the way we install, maintain, operate and repair our buried infrastructure by providing secure access to data from over 600 public and private sector asset owners. These will include over 600 gas, water, electric and telecommunications companies and local authorities.

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.

This will lead to economic growth of at least £400 million per annum through increased efficiency of data sharing and excavations, fewer accidental strikes on underground pipes and cables, and reduced disruptions for the public and businesses. It will also contribute to building the infrastructure needed across the country, such as new roads, rail and houses.

NUAR will help those who plan and carry out the digging work do their jobs more effectively and safely. This not only improves public services but also people’s lives.

NUAR is now operational and contains data from over 350 asset owners, mapping over 3 million kms of buried pipes and cables from the networks of all major gas, electricity and water providers, alongside a significant proportion of all telecommunication networks including Openreach. All integrated into a single online map.

Utility providers and their contractors can now choose to use NUAR as their primary means of accessing underground asset data. Responsibility for deciding on how and when NUAR is used as a component of safe dig processes remains with those carrying out excavations.

Current work

  • The NUAR platform is now operated by Ordnance Survey on behalf of GDS. Find out more on their dedicated NUAR website.

  • The Data (Use and Access) Act achieved Royal Assent in June 2025. This puts NUAR on a statutory footing and updates the existing legislation which governs the sharing of underground asset information. Whilst there are no immediate changes as a result of The Bill, it will allow NUAR to serve as a comprehensive statutory register of asset information and contains measures to allow it to be operated sustainably into the future.

  • A testing phase is underway to explore ways of widening access to NUAR and understand the potential benefits and limitations of different ways the service could be used. This follows an extensive, open, and collaborative period of stakeholder engagement. We are testing ideas to understand their feasibility, value and public interest. Please continue to check this page for future updates as this work progresses.

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

Contact us

If you have any questions, or if you want to speak to our onboarding team about signing up to NUAR, please contact our Service Desk on email at support@nuar.uk or call 0345 408 1895.

For media enquiries, please email press@dsit.gov.uk

The story so far

  1. April 2019: NUAR pilot phase announced

  2. June 2020: Update report published following the completion of pilots

  3. September 2021: Build phase of NUAR announced

  4. November 2021: NUAR economic case published

  5. June 2022: NUAR consultation on potential legislative reform and the proposed future operating model closed

  6. October 2022: Project update report published marking the first anniversary of the build phase

  7. April 2023: NUAR MVP launched in North East England, Wales and London

  8. November 2023: Project update report published marking MVP going live across the whole of England and Wales, updates to existing legislation and launch of new discovery project

  9. October 2024:Ordnance Survey appointed future operator of NUAR

  10. November 2024: National Underground Asset Register project update - November 2024

  11. June 2025: NUAR now operated by Ordnance Survey and moves from MVP into public beta with user cap restrictions removed.

  12. December 2025 - NUAR operational

Updates to this page

Published 22 March 2022
Last updated 27 April 2026 show all updates

  1. Ordnance Survey NUAR website added, Testing phase text updated

  2. NUAR Service desk telephone number changed.

  3. Updated to reflect NUAR is now operated by Ordnance Survey and moves from MVP into public beta with user cap restrictions removed.

  4. Email address for press enquiries changed.

  5. NUAR project update added to the "Story so far"

  6. 29 November webinar details added.

  7. Contact details updated

  8. Text changes reflect new government and new video added replacing previous one on the objectives of NUAR.

  9. Details of NUAR onboarding in 60 webinar and NUAR update webinars are no longer taking place and removed from this page.

  10. Summer webinar dates added

  11. Discovery project section updated following the the deadline for new suggestions by 29 April 2024. April onboarding webinars (10th & 24th) removed. May onboarding webinars added

  12. Discovery project information updated and April onboarding webinars added

  13. New March webinar dates added.

  14. On boarding in 60 webinars and information on the discovery project updated.

  15. webinar dates for February and May added

  16. New webinar dates added

  17. new webinar dates added for December and January

  18. updated to reflect that NUAR MVP is now accessible across all parts of England and Wales

  19. NUAR update webinar added

  20. NUAR platform demonstration video added. New Webinars added for October & November

  21. August webinars removed. New webinars added for September and October

  22. Blog posts removed and NUAR minimum viable product (MVP) section added

  23. "A guide to NUAR" PDF removed

  24. Blog link added - NUAR available to users in first UK locations

  25. 'About NUAR' and 'Getting Involved' sections updated.

  26. Updated version of "NUAR in a nutshell" document added

  27. Project update added to "The story so far" section

  28. New NUAR in a Nutshell document added which includes participation progress update

  29. New intro video and new NUAR platform video replacing previous videos

  30. NUAR in a nutshell document changed from 'Coming Soon' to the 'Future of NUAR'

  31. NUAR consultation details added

  32. NUAR in a nutshell document added

  33. NUAR prototype platform video added

  34. First published.

Sign up for emails or print this page

Contents