Underwater drone technology is being used to inspect the Tweed Shire Council‘s 40 water reservoirs, saving the Council time and money.
The new technology has been introduced in recent weeks. It allows council officers to more easily scan for information about the structure and quality of the water held in each reservoir.
Water and Wastewater operations manager Brie Jowett said the underwater drone would double as a dive buddy. The Council could quickly view in real-time the inside of the reservoirs, which vary in size and depth.
“We can now conduct inspections of the reservoirs ourselves. We can stay on the ground, do the inspections immediately and save ratepayers money,” Jowett said.
“Using the drone, we can check for damage to our reservoirs. We can also check for other structural issues. It allows us to get information on water quality faster.
“This has the potential to reduce the amount of cleaning and maintenance work we undertake.
“The drone is just one way we sustainably operate and maintain the Tweed’s water assets, systems and networks. It’s part of our commitment to provide safe, sustainable and affordable water supply services as the foundation of a healthy Tweed community.”
Underwater drone supports Council’s sustainability efforts
The underwater drone is fitted with a camera and a net to scoop up debris.
Council’s Water Supply and Quality technical officer, Brendan Tyndall, has been remotely operating the technology for a few weeks.
“Since I started using it, we haven’t needed to hire divers when we think there might be an issue at a reservoir,” Tyndall said.
“There’s no more waiting for visual inspections as we can quickly deploy the drone ourselves.”
Council supplies Tweed households and businesses with high-quality, affordable, reliable water and wastewater services from catchment to the tap and from the tap to the ocean.
To learn more about Council’s water supply and assets, go to tweed.nsw.gov.au/property-rates/water-wastewater/water-supply-assets.
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