THE MAGAZINE FOR THE DRAINAGE, WATER & WASTEWATER INDUSTRIES
EDITOR’S PICKS
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.”
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
Background
NUAR is an emerging digital service, which provides instant access to a map of underground assets (i.e. pipes and cables) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland already benefits from a system of this kind, known as the Scottish Community Apparatus Data Vault (or Vault for short), and the Geospatial Commission has worked closely with colleagues in the Scottish Government on this development.
OS is Great Britain’s National Mapping Service and has been
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ensure safe digging and excavation.
Nick Bolton, Chief Executive Officer, 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 benefit to the nation. Being trusted to operate a critical national asset, such as NUAR, is recognition of our enduring capabilities and we are delighted to be responsible for running this service.”
Heidi Mottram, Chief Executive Officer, Northumbrian Water Group said:
“Ever since we collaborated with Ordnance Survey and others to design and produce the forerunner of NUAR at Northumbrian Water Group’s Innovation Festival in 2018, we have always felt this system, which benefits utilities and customers alike, should be hosted and managed not-for-profit in the public sector. Our planning and operation teams have fully embraced NUAR and this move to our national mapping agency is welcomed.”
Ashley Behan, Street Works and Permitting Manager, Lincolnshire County Council said:
“As one of the first Highway Authority users of the NUAR platform, we are pleased to see public authority management of NUAR come to fruition, with its transfer to Ordnance Survey. As the National Mapping Service for Great
mapping the surface of the nation since 1791. As part of its public task, it manages, maintains and provides access to the National Geographic Database, which contains over 500 million features and is updated over 20,000 times a day. OS data and services underpin critical activities across the country, such as getting ambulances to patients quickly, registering to vote and the provision of energy, water and broadband.
NUAR has recently won the ‘Digital Innovation in Productivity’ category at the Digital Construction Awards, and
Britain and one of the developers of NUAR, Ordnance Survey has a unique insight into mapping systems and how the platform works, and we are looking forward to seeing how it develops under their stewardship.
The centralisation and consistency of asset information NUAR provides is invaluable and will be key to the sector moving forward, safeguarding the country’s vital underground networks in a more structured way.”
Tom Duncan, Head of Design & Records, GTC said:
“As an active user and supporter of the NUAR platform, I am pleased to see it transition to Ordnance Survey as its permanent home. This move should enhance the management of data relating to underground assets and improve collaboration across sectors, ultimately contributing to safer and more efficient infrastructure planning.”
Dr Lawrence J Smith, Technical Information Manager, Thames Water said:
“We are delighted to hear that Ordnance Survey has been selected as the public authority to lead the next phase of NUAR's evolution. Having collaborated closely with Ordnance Survey for several decades, we have confidence in their capabilities and in their ability to undertake this role. The NUAR application is becoming an increasingly vital asset in ensuring the safety of both our workforce and customers. At Thames Water, we fully support this announcement.”
been shortlisted for the following awards:
New Civil Engineer (NCE) Awards 2024 - Technology Solutions Provider of the Year
Digital Construction Awards 2024 - Digital Innovation in Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Management Consultancies Association awards 2024 - Performance Improvement in the Public Sector Award
Association for Project Management awards 2024 – Programme of the Year
Civil Service Awards 2024 – Creative Solutions
November 2024 | 29
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