The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) has unveiled a new satellite-based leak detection program named LeakTracer to accelerate the identification and repair of leaking drinking water systems in rural communities across the state.
The cutting-edge program leverages AI and radar-based satellite data to proactively detect leaks, enabling crews to make swift repairs while saving communities thousands of gallons of water and millions of dollars in lost water. A pilot program conducted in five New Mexico communities successfully identified nearly 80 leaks, saving an estimated 345,000 gallons of water per day and demonstrating the program’s potential to deliver significant water savings statewide. The program is expected to be particularly impactful in rural communities with aging infrastructure, where as much as 40-70% of treated drinking water is lost and limited staff and financial resources make leak detection and repair more challenging.
LeakTracer, developed with ASTERRA and McKim & Creed, is available at no cost to rural water systems serving fewer than 20,000 constituents and in good standing with the Rural Infrastructure Loan Program, with participating systems solely responsible for the cost of repairs if leaks are found.
The initiative also represents an important step toward implementing Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s 50-Year Water Action Plan and strengthening New Mexico’s water security. For more information, see NMED’s press release.
