WTD Drone Program

We Came, We Flew, We Mapped..

Peter Keum, GISP

Drone Program Lead/GIS Analyst

June 9, 2026

From Buzz to Business

Quick History
Where are We Now:
- Hardware/Software/Pilots
Things We've Done and Doing:
- Integration of Drone with GIS

383 2,000,000

(2 Million)

15,000

178,000,000

(178 Million)

Guess??

383 Miles

of Pipe

2,000,000 (2 Million) People

15,000 Trucks

178,000,000 (178 Million) MGD (Million Gallons/Day)

King County Wastewater Treatment by Numbers

2 million residents
34 Agencies
424 square miles
383 miles sewer pipeline (2.5 inch to 14 ft)
74 facilities (PS & RS)
3 Treatment Plants: 180 MGD ~ Max. 460 MGD

Seattle, WA --> Medford, OR

Brightwater TP

WTD GIS Team

10 GIS Specialists
4 FAA Certified Pilots
3 Studying to be Certified
Two Interns
- Olivia
- Max

Supervisor

WTD GIS

Maintain Sewer GIS Data

FIRS (Facility Information Retrieval System) Data
- Maintenance Hole
- Pipes
- Pump Stations
- Regulator Stations
- Treatment Plants
- Outfalls
Flow Monitors
CP Stations
Connection Points
Site Plan Data
3D Models
Drone Collected Data
.... many many more

WTD

GIS

DATA

GIS Data:
The core of a GIS is its Database

BUT.....There are 17 county agencies support

King County GIS Data Library System

WTD

GIS Data:
The core of a GIS is its Database

So Let's Dive in!

RPAS - Remotely Piloted Aircraft System

FAA Definition: Unmanned Aircraft (UA) system that is operated by a pilot via ground control or on-board computer.

RPAS Categories

Small

Size: 1 - 2 meters ( 3 ft - 6.5 ft), < 55 lbs.
Control: Visual line of sight, Radio control
DJI M3E, M400, ScanEagle

Medium

Size: Equivalent to a car, ~ 1000 lbs.

Large

Size: > 30,000 lbs.

RPAS as Platform

Multi-rotors

Fixed-wing & VTOL

Shorter flight time (< 45 min)
Cover smaller area
Highly maneuverable
Less expensive
Access to confined spaces

Long flight time (+ 40min)
Covers very large area

(vertical take-off & land)

Sensors Payload

Multi-spectral

Thermal Infrared

Lidar Camera

High resolution digital camera (100 MP)

Lidar Camera

Methane Gas Dector

1. Aircraft + Sensor (Data Collection)

2. Data Processing & Analyzing (GIS)

3. Information Products

=

+

1. Platform + Sensor (Data Collection)

2. Data Processing & Analyzing (GIS)

3. Information Products

Standard Drone Workflow

Drone

GIS

Great Combo?

&

Great combo !

GIS & DRONE

FAA Regulations - Where are we now?

Regulations

Commercial/Governmental

FAA Part 107 Rule, July 2016

Need FAA Remote Pilot Certification (Pilot license NOT needed)
~460,375 - Remote pilots certified (Oct. 2025)
433,407 - Commercial Drones Registered (Oct. 2025)
$175 to take the test

Fly under 400 feet above ground level
Not to fly < 5 nautical miles around airport
Aircraft < 55 lbs.
Fly during daytime or night time operation with appropriate lighting
Fly visual line of sight ( VLOS)
No flight over non-participating people
...and many, many more.....

FAA Part 107 Rule

FAA Part 107 Drone Certification

Be at least 16 yrs old
Pass the initial aeronautical knowledge exam
Online recurring training every 24 month

The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST)

Understand recreational flying requirements
Take TRUST
Online recurring training every 24 month

DJI Mavic 2 Pro (1)

Mavic 2 Ent. Adv. (1)

Mavic 3 Ent (2)

2021

2022

2023

Matrice 4 Ent. (1)

2025

Total: ~ $27,000

Current Hardware

DJI Mavic 2 Pro < $1,800 (Retired)

DJI Mavic 2 Pro Ent. Adv $6,500

DJI Avata $1,300

Mavic 3 Ent (2x)

$3,800

20 MP/ 56x zoom

20 MP

12 MP/ 32x zoom

+ Thermal

Matrice 4 Ent

~ $5,300

Latest Hardware

$11,000

All WEather

L3 - lidar

~ $ 18,000

H30T - Thermal

~ $ 12,000

KC Wastewater Treatment Drone Program

People

+

Technology

+

Organization

=

Drone Program

WTD GIS Drone Program

Building Drone Program

E3 S3

Small
Share
Structure

Easy
Efficient
Effective

HOW?

WHY?

Why Use Drones?

1. Easy - Simple with little effort

Automatic

Repeatable

E3

1. Easy - Simple with little effort

Automatic Repeatable

Brightwater TP - Aeriation Basin Opt. Construction

Flight Control App

Automate Flight Planning - Fly Consistently for overlapping images
Can fly manually but it's like mowing with scissors

Why Use Drones?

2. Efficient - Results without waste

Safety of staffs & Save Time & $$

South Treatment Plant

E3

Data Processing - Efficient

Cloud Storage & Cloud Data Processing
Flight Planning from Desktop - fly on Mobile (controller)
Cloud storage/Cloud Processing
Centralized System
Project Deliverables

2. Efficient - Results without waste

Safety of staffs & Save Time & $$

West Point
Treatment

Plant

Discovery Park

Blvd

Dec 2024

E3

Why Use Drones?

3. Effective - Producing Results

E3

0.50 in/px

June 2025

6x time the resolution

(from KC Aerial Imagery - June 2025)

Environmental Monitoring

Examples - Effective

Kenmore Twin Springs Mitigation Site

August 2022

March 2022

April 2023

Construction Site Monitoring

West Point Treatment Plant Power Upgrade Project (2023)

3. Effective - Producing Results

E3

Construction Site Monitoring

Examples - Effective

West Point Treatment Plant Raw Sewage Pump Building

Ship Canal Water Quality - TBM

3. Effective - Producing Results

E3

Why Use Drones?

2. Efficient - Results without waste

Safety of staffs & Save Time & $$

South Treatment Plant

Inspecting Inside Digester (2024)

Brightwater Treatment Plant

Inspecting Inside Digester

2. Efficient - Results without waste

Safety of staffs & Save Time & $$

West Point
Treatment

Plant

Discovery Park

Blvd

Dec 2024

Why Use Drones?

3. Effective - Producing Results

Update 2D aerial map

Examples - Effective

South Treatment Plant

1172 Photos
0.57in/px

0.50 in/px

June 2025

6x time the resolution

(from KC Aerial Imagery - June 2025)

3. Effective - Producing Results

Sep 2023

Oct 2024

June 2025

South Treatment Plant

Compost LOOP

pilot-project

Monitoring & Mitigation (ECSS)

Kenmore Twin Springs Mitigation Site

March 2022

April 2024

August 2025

3. Effective - Producing Results

Construction Site Monitoring

West Point Treatment Plant Power Upgrade Project (2023)

3. Effective - Producing Results

Construction Site Monitoring

West Point Treatment Plant Power Upgrade Project

3. Effective - Producing Results

Ship Canal Water Quality - TBM (2023)

3. Effective - Producing Results

Ship Canal Water Quality - TBM

3. Effective - Producing Results

Helping KC Parks

Helping KC Parks

Building Drone Program

E3S3

Small
Share
Structure

WHY

Easy
Efficient
Effective

HOW

WHY?

Ensure Continous Operation
Support Capital Delivery & Maintenance

DJI Mavic 2 Pro (1)

Mavic 2 Ent. Adv. (1)

Mavic 3 Ent (2)

2021

2022

2023

Matrice 4 Ent. (1)

2025

Total: < $22,000

Small
Share
Structure