Drones used to test water quality at Auckland's most popular beaches

Water quality testing at popular swimming beaches has been taken to new heights thanks to the use of drones.

Reporting for work officially for the first time on Thursday, a drone began collecting water quality samples at Takapuna Beach, on Auckland's North Shore on behalf of Auckland Council.

Seagulls rallied as the unmanned aerial vehicle buzzed to life, whizzed about 200m offshore and lowered a sample bag into the blue. It whizzed back and its contents were dropped into a jar for lab analysis. Read more

Council Freshwater Water Quality