The water company has been using thermal-imaging drones since 2017 to spot leaking pipes by detecting temperature drops on the land below.
The drones also survey sites such as reservoirs and treatment works, saving money on scaffolding and manpower.
Currently, the Civil Aviation Authority regulates drone flying, requiring pilots to be within line of sight, limiting the range to a few hundred metres.
However, the water company’s recent trial of the ‘Drones in a Box’ technology could change this.
If new legislation is approved, the trial could see a series of drones set up in docking stations at the company sites across the region, ready to be flown remotely from hundreds of miles away.
Duncan Turner, the drone lead, said: “Drones in a Box is a really exciting new technology that we have trialled in Nottinghamshire earlier this year.
“The drones would be housed inside a docking station, which opens up to allow them to fly out when operated remotely.
“What Drones in Box would give us is the capability to rapidly respond to issues or problems from many miles away.
“This could include helping spot potential leaks with our thermal drones, which is particularly useful in rural areas, plus conducting remote surveys of our sites when needed.”
He added: “It could also allow us to fly to the scene of a big burst within minutes to help send back photographs and video, so expert teams at our Coventry headquarters can make quick decisions, including on logistics.”
The Civil Aviation Authority has outlined plans to relax current restrictions, which could see the ban on remote flying lifted by 2027.
If restrictions are lifted, the water company has said that the new Drones in a Box would be a big boost to its current fleet of drones, which are helping Severn Trent target a reduction in leakage by 15 per cent by 2025.
Jonny Bevan, another drone pilot, said: “Drones are just one of the new technologies helping us to reduce leakage across our network.
“If we can find these leaks faster and deal with them quicker, that makes things better for our customers.”