NUAG

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National Underground Assets Group
The story so far and the next steps
Chris Overton VISTA Seminar 11 June 2009
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What I would like to cover today

• What is NUAG?
• Why NUAG?
• What have we done?
• Where does it all fit?
• Where do we go from here?

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The National Underground Assets Group (NUAG)
Formed in 2005 to act as a point of focus and
single voice for everyone involved with
underground assets
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Underground assets are the UKs veins and arteries
A total length of over 4 million km and growing
daily!
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Assets can be found anywhere
both under the street
and away from the street
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Around 4 million works are carried out in the
street each year PLUS up to another 1 million
works away from the street
and Plans or other suitable information about
all buried services in the area should be
obtained before excavation work starts (HSG47)
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Thats where the problems can start!

• Records of underground assets are incomplete and
  inconsistent
• There is no standard approach to sharing records
• Current locating technologies are not 100
  effective

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All of which can lead to

• Extended job times
• Abortive and unnecessary work
• Damage to third party assets, estimated at 150
  million per year (2005)
• Risk to safety of workers and to the public

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Resulting in

• Societal costs, including costs of delays to
• road users, disruption to business,
  environmental
• damage and safety costs, which total an
  estimated
• 5.5 billion per year
• Consequential loss of supply or service
• Damage to brand image and reputation

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The NUAG Vision
All information on underground assets, and
associated above ground assets, will be shared
between stakeholders in a consistent way, on
demand
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NUAG has published three reports, each based on
extensive stakeholder involvement, setting out
what is needed to help achieve the Vision. These
are available at www.nuag.co.uk
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NUAG Reports
September 2006 A review of current practice and
future requirements, including recommended
minimum Performance Standards
July 2007 A national approach for capturing,
recording and sharing information, including data
definitions and standards
August 2008 User Requirements for a web-based
information sharing service
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A multi-stage approach

• Stage 1 short-term
• Stage 2 medium-term
• Stage 3 long-term

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Stage 1
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Stage 2
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Step 1 Find your area of interest
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Step 2 Specify a location
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Step 3 Contact interested Owners
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Stage 3
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The way forward

• Financial support from BERR
• Regional Trial London
• Match funding
• User-led, not-for-profit organisation
• No charge for use
• Annual charge to Owners

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In summary, NUAG has

• Brought together, for the first time, Industry
  and Government stakeholders
• Facilitated agreement of common goals
• Created a strategic framework of proposals to
  address an age-old problem
• Developed an opportunity for effective UK
  solutions to the problem

2005
2008
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In summary, NUAG has

• Brought together, for the first time, Industry
  and Government stakeholders
• Facilitated agreement of common goals
• Created a strategic framework of proposals to
  address an age-old problem
• Developed an opportunity for effective UK
  solutions to the problem

2005
2008
which will help to deliver
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• a reduction in the 5.5 billion a year societal
  costs associated with works in the street
• a reduction in the 150 million a year third
  party damage costs
• reduced abortive work leading to lower
  operational costs
• less unnecessary work with a consequent positive
  environmental impact
• less disruption to the road network, and
• reduced risks to safety of workers and the
  public.

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For more information, please go to www.nuag.co.uk
OR contact us by email at overton_at_ntlworld.com