Projects

Project Description

As part of Manchester NH’s obligations under EPA’s NPDES Phase II Permit, CEI assisted the City with completing inspections of stormwater outfalls along the Merrimack River. Due to the difficulty in accessing many of the outfalls because of their locations within retaining walls, down steep slopes, or inaccessible due to nearby Interstate 293, the decision was made to complete inspections using unmanned aerial systems, or drones. CEI’s subsidiary EagleEye Aerobotics completed inspections over the course of three days in late fall after leaves had fallen off trees to visually inspect outfalls for dry weather flows. Drone flights were also used to determine any maintenance requirements that could be needed at each location. A total of 45 outfalls were inspected in this manner, thus alleviating safety concerns by having ground-based personnel inspect outfalls in a conventional manner.