The deep opportunities that sit within our reservoir’s waters

Reservoirs are one of the main sources of our water supply; there are more than 35,000 of them around the world. When most people turn on their taps, they probably don’t realise just how much work goes into reservoir maintenance and the fundamental role of science and technology in generating clean and safe water. Recent advances have enabled efficient and sustainable solutions in managing water supplies.

Skyports is supporting ST Engineering through the provision of drone pilots to help Singapore’s National Water Agency (PUB) automate inspection works using ST Engineering’s unmanned drone capabilities

By integrating beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone technologies into its processes, PUB has been able to save thousands of man-hours each year and significantly reduce the carbon footprint associated with traditional means of completing these tasks. The BVLOS drone is equipped with sensors that help monitor and identify overgrown aquatic plants and algae, recreational use of the water sources and other elements critical to a safe water supply.

The following short video demonstrates how Skyports’ pilots operate ST Engineering’s DroNet solution to complete these complex tasks.

Video Source: Singapore National Water Agency

This is the story of just 6 reservoirs where unmanned BVLOS technology has been implemented saving over 7,200 man-hours a year. With 35,000 reservoirs around the world, drones could save millions of hours.  This vast market has huge potential from a commercial perspective and an environmental aspect too.

The use of all electric  drones has a clear environmental impact. Remotely deployed drones, operable from a central control centre which could be located anywhere in the world reduces the need for manual inspection and the consequential impact of people driving to remote locations.  We estimate that halving the number of physical reservoir inspections could cut carbon emissions by over 3 million tonnes per year.

Reservoir inspection is just one way we are growing our partnership with ST Engineering, rapidly scaling the technology to save time, cost and environmental impact.

*Image Source: Singapore National Water Agency