Drone Opportunity - Diagnosis & Inspection of Eutrophic Lake Restoration Project

Drone Opportunity Template

Title: Diagnosis & Inspection of Eutrophic Lake Restoration Project

What is the Problem?: Small urban lakes are typically subject to large inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus, leading to eutrophic conditions characterized by periodic algae blooms.

Why is it a Problem?: Certain algae blooms carry toxic properties to people, fish, pets, and livestock; they may deplete oxygen levels, resulting in fish kills and septic conditions, with accompanying odors and mosquito problems.  They may devalue property.

How is it Now Being Addressed?: Reduction of nitrogen and phosphorus inputs to lakes is marginally effective, since “trigger levels” of these elements are extremely low, and met in almost all small urban lakes.  Chemical treatment is a current best practice in many situations.  Analysis of chemical composition of such waterways (to diagnose the problem and measure effectiveness of outcomes) is time consuming and expensive, and is not particularly useful for repeated analyses for algae bloom problems which may arise in a matter of a few days.

What Can Drones Do to Help Solve the Problem?  Drones, carrying multispectral cameras, can rapidly diagnose incipient eutrophication, and provide measurements of success of alternative treatment regimens.  Small drones may, in the near future, be capable of actually delivering critical chemical treatments to selected localized areas needing treatment, without full treatment of the entire lake, thereby saving costs, and reducing inputs of treatment chemicals to the overall system.  Drones can be flown repeatedly over sensitive areas, thereby providing rapid response to observed conditions.

What Will be the Benefit From Using Drones? Drone imagery may give early indications of eutrophic conditions, may be flown repeatedly for very low cost to assess emergence of problems and success of treatments.  Drones may become an inexpensive chemical delivery mechanism for location- and dose-sensitive areas.

What Should be Done to Enable Drone Use? Create a way forward for the use of drones over waterways, by commercial licensed, bonded, and insured drone operators, to diagnose eutrophication problems and measure success in treatment regimes.  Develop light-weight, remotely controlled, liquid or powder delivery mechanisms for delivery of chemicals.

NOTE: A current example of chemical treatment of a highly eutrophic lake is that of Lake Lorene, in the Twin Lakes section of Federal Way, conducted by AquaTechnex and described at: http://aquatechnex.com/?s=lake+lorene.  I am familiar with this application as I lived about a block from Lake Lorene for 8 years, and am personally acquainted with AquaTechnex from work I authorized for a community association in Ocean Park, WA. Note that the aerial imagery featured in the web site above are from Google Earth, taken about a year apart in the 2012-2013 time frame.  They could have been taken by drone.

Drone Opportunity - Gutter & Downspout Inspection

Experience with the use of a drone in a multi-building townhouse development in Lakewood, WA has led me to consider creation of an inventory of actual and possible uses of drones in other situations.  I have created a simple Drone Opportunity Template to compile the results.  This is the first of many... 

Drone Opportunity Template

Title: Gutters and Downspout Inspection

What is the Problem?: Gutters and downspouts in single and multifamily homes and commercial buildings adjacent to, or built within, wooded areas are subject to drop of, or wind-blown, leaves and needles, which plug them, requiring frequent cleaning.

Why is it a Problem?: Pluggage and failure to clean gutters and downspouts result in overflowing gutters, resulting in water damage to vertical walls, decks, and foundations, including, in some cases, seepage inside buildings, destroying carpets, furniture, and other property.   Constant dampness may produce dry rot or mold damage, creating adverse health effects, property devaluation, legal risks to inspectors, and difficulties in financing and selling the property.  Corrective action is often costly, time-consuming, and borne by the homeowner, contractor, and/or insurer.

How is it Now Being Addressed?: Owners and contractors must periodically diagnose and clean gutters and downspouts to keep them clear, resulting in costs of time and money.  Failure to recognize and clean plugged gutters and downspouts in a timely manner can result in the effects above.

What Can Drones Do to Help Solve the Problem?: By providing a stable platform for aerial photos, regular (or on call, for example immediately after or before storm events) aerial surveys of gutters and downspouts could replace physical inspection by homeowners, contractors, or property managers who typically use ladders to access difficult locations, reducing time for inspections from hours to minutes, and providing a permanent record of findings.  This would allow a prioritized cleaning program to be implemented.

What Will be the Benefit From Using Drones?:  A greatly reduced cost in time and money to inspect gutters and downspouts; a prioritized list of problem sites (thereby avoiding useless efforts to access and clean areas not needing cleaning); possible finding of other, related problems on the imagery (loose, sagging, or broken gutters and downspouts, roofing materials, roof penetrations seals, painting needs, woodpecker holes, vermin nests, etc.)

What Should be Done to Enable Drone Use?: Create a way forward for the use of drones over private single- and multi-family homes, and commercial and industrial properties, by commercial licensed, bonded, and insured drone operators, while protecting privacy concerns of residents, workers, and customers on the site.