Where utility records come from
Before any excavation, designers and contractors need to know what services may be in the ground. The starting point is a records search, often called a STATs search, which gathers plans from each asset owner: the water and sewerage company for the area, the gas network, the electricity network operator, Openreach and other telecoms and fibre operators, and any pipeline, railway, airport or private site owners.
In Sussex and Surrey that typically means plans from water companies such as Southern Water, Thames Water, SES Water, South East Water, Affinity Water or Portsmouth Water, SGN for gas, UK Power Networks or SSEN for electricity, and a growing list of telecoms and fibre networks.
Online enquiry services such as LSBUD
Some asset owners can be checked through online enquiry services such as LinesearchbeforeUdig (LSBUD), which covers many pipeline, gas, electricity and telecoms networks. These are useful, but they do not cover every asset owner, so a full records search still means checking which networks are missing and requesting their plans directly.
What NUAR is – and what it is not
The National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) is the UK Government’s digital map of underground pipes and cables, run by Ordnance Survey. It covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland, so sites in Sussex and Surrey are within its coverage.
Access is currently limited to asset owners and contractors they authorise, and the government plans to widen access in phases over the next few years. NUAR brings records together in one place, but it is built from the same asset owners’ data, which varies in format, accuracy and completeness. It is designed to complement existing safe-digging practice, not replace it.
Why records alone are not enough
Whichever source you use, records are a desktop source: in PAS128 terms they give quality level QL-D only. They are often schematic, rarely show depth, may not include service connections or private networks, and can be out of date – particularly on new estates and recently rebuilt town centres. Abandoned services are frequently missing altogether. HSE guidance HSG47 expects records to be used alongside locating equipment, not instead of it.
What to do
- Start with a records search to understand the likely services.
- Commission a PAS128 detection survey (Type B) using EML and GPR to locate what is actually there.
- Verify critical services at chambers or trial holes (QL-A) where the risk justifies it.
- Mark out services on site before excavation and keep the drawing in the health and safety file.
Need a survey in Sussex or Surrey? Call 0345 548 5451 or email us with your site plan for a fixed quote.
