Cross-posted from Clean Water Stories

There are many names for remotely piloted aircraft, and you may have heard them called drones, but at the King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD), they’re referred to as an RPAS — or a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System.

The use of RPASs by the County began about six years ago, but it is only recently that WTD came to own and operate their own devices. Before that, contractors were hired to provide the services that WTD now performs. This saves the county money in the long, and offers fewer restrictions on how they’re used. Read more.