The timing of the research is opportune given that the Traffic Management Act will require all utilities to exchange digital (GIS) asset location information by June 2008
Utilities open up 4 million holes in UK streets each year at an estimated cost of £1bn with indirect costs of £4bn. With 750,000 km of water mains and sewers, there are large potential savings to be made by UKWIR members and other utilities in rapidly and accurately locating assets without inflicting third party damage
The award of the VISTA project shows the value of UKWIR Technology Transfer workshops. An international workshop in 2002, the UK workshop in 2003 and the European workshop in 2004 helped UKWIR to formulate a £10 million assets location research programme. £7 million of research has already begun and most of the remaining research should be let shortly
The VISTA project dovetails with an EPSRC £1 million research project ‘Mapping the Underworld’ that is being led by the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham
UKWIR led, with utilities across Europe, the establishment of ESWRAC (European Street Works Research Advisory Council). It has successfully lobbied for £3.5 million of EC research on asset location and condition that has recently been advertised
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