Providing sustainable water solutions with maximum outputs and minimum disruption.
OCU delivers market-leading Trenchless installation services, underpinned by more than 20 years of experience and continuous investment. We have built a nationally scaled in-house Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) capability, supported by dedicated teams, specialist equipment, and a modern fleet.
Our diverse contract portfolio includes projects for all major UK water utilities, private developers, and Tier 1 capital delivery organisations, including key Joint Venture partners involved in HS2.
Proven track record in HDD delivery
Since completing our first Horizontal Directional Drill in 2003, OCU has significantly expanded its HDD capability and expertise. Today, we operate a fleet of twenty rigs, capable of installing pipelines up to 1,400mm in diameter and over 3,000 metres in length. Our rigs, which range from 20 to 500 tonnes of pulling capacity, are equipped to perform in a variety of ground conditions, from sands and clays to solid rock.
OCU holds the record for the longest HDD installation completed on a water network in Ireland, having successfully delivered two 500mm estuary crossing pipelines, each over 1.1km in length, under the River Lee (Cork Harbour) for Irish Water.
Beyond large-diameter projects, OCU also excels in small-diameter stitch drilling, a technique widely used on mains rehabilitation schemes. Over the past five years, we have installed more than 100km of new water mains across the UK using this method, delivering critical upgrades for our clients and their customers nationwide.
Design & Planning expertise
To strengthen our end-to-end delivery, OCU provides a comprehensive in-house HDD design service, enabling full project evaluation at every new drill location. Our design capability covers a wide range of critical assessments, including:
- Site investigations
- Utility location mapping
- Topographical and ground condition surveys
- Feasibility studies
- Environmental impact assessments
- Ground settlement and heave calculations
- Annular pressure, buoyancy, and over-bend analysis
We engage with projects from the earliest stages to ensure our two decades of HDD experience can add maximum value. Our teams are well-versed in securing approvals and navigating complex regulatory environments, working regularly with bodies such as the Environment Agency, Network Rail, and National Highways to deliver installations beneath some of the UK’s most ecologically sensitive zones and critical infrastructure networks.
Working together towards Net Zero
At OCU, we work collaboratively with our clients from the Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) stage to integrate the principles of the carbon reduction hierarchy: Avoid, Switch, Improve – as outlined in PAS 2080: Carbon Management in Infrastructure.
Our design teams proactively identify opportunities to avoid carbon emissions wherever possible, particularly by recommending trenchless ‘no-dig’ solutions such as Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD). Compared to traditional open-cut methods, HDD offers substantial environmental benefits. In a recent analysis of 10 projects for Yorkshire Water totalling nearly 5km of pipeline, HDD demonstrated a 92% reduction in embodied carbon — equivalent to 37,164 kg CO2e savings.
By embedding low-carbon thinking from the outset, OCU continues to help clients meet their sustainability goals while delivering resilient infrastructure across the UK.
About OCU Group
OCU is leading the way in energy transition and utilities contracting as an innovative service provider, operating on a national scale.
Our two decades of experience in the water industry has built a reputation for delivering the full spectrum of water and wastewater treatment projects, with turnkey solutions for design, installation, and commissioning.
Our regular, reactive, and emergency support is relied upon by a broad range of water companies all over the UK, with an efficient, effective, and environmentally friendly water and wastewater service.
The Group delivers a wide range of client focused business solutions throughout the UK and Ireland, working with a large blue-chip client base in all utility areas including Water, Power, Energy, Telecoms, Rail and Directional Drilling.
