LeakTracer saves up to 328 million gallons of water annually

New technology identifies 216 drinking water leaks across New Mexico.

Source: New Mexico Environment Department

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) today released its Year One summary report for LeakTracer — a statewide initiative leveraging satellite technology and field inspections to identify water leaks.  

In the first year, NMED and ASTERRA worked with 28 utilities, inspecting 181 miles of distribution pipeline, roughly the distance from Albuquerque to Farmington. 

The program identified 216 leaks in these systems: 45 on main lines, 54 on service lines, and 117 on customer-owned lines. Repairing these leaks would save an estimated 623.5 gallons per minute — about 898,000 gallons per day and 328 million gallons of drinking water per year. That’s equivalent to the annual usage of 6,400 New Mexican households. 

Identify and fixing these leaks also saves the utilities and ratepayers money — the participating water systems stand to reduce water production costs by approximately $505,000 annually. Savings that can be reinvested into critical infrastructure, accelerating local system upgrades while reducing the amount of treated water lost before it reaches customers. 

Drinking water leaks increase operating costs for utilities, expenses that can ultimately be passed on to ratepayers. By identifying leaks early, LeakTracer provides utilities the information they need to make repairs before problems become more costly, saving water and money while helping keep rates affordable for customers. 

“LeakTracer shows what’s possible when we pair innovation with stewardship,” said Environment Secretary James Kenney. “Communities can save hundreds of millions of gallons of water a year, protect ratepayers in the process, and make their water systems more resilient.” 

Launched after a successful 2025 pilot, LeakTracer expanded in 2026 in partnership with ASTERRA USA— a San Diego-based company that uses patented satellite radar technology, which penetrates soil, asphalt, trees, and pavement, to map leaks. The team then identifies points of interest which are confirmed by boots‑on‑the‑ground inspectors, enabling local utilities to prioritize repairs before leaks even surface. 

The program’s performance advances the goals of the Governor’s 50-Year Water Action Plan to conserve water and strengthen community resilience through proactive infrastructure management.   

“ASTERRA is a game changer for us. Before them, we found leaks the old-fashioned way; waiting for water to surface or for a customer complaint,” said Truth or Consequences Mayor Rolf Hechler. “Now, we can fix leaks before we can see them, saving water, money and time.”  

Water systems interested in the LeakTracer Program can apply through NMED’s streamlined process. From the LeakTracer homepage, systems can either submit the CONTACT US form and a NMED representative will follow up, or select APPLY NOW to apply through the Rural Infrastructure Program (RIP). 

More information about LeakTracer, including how community water systems can apply to participate, is available at https://www.env.nm.gov/leaktracer/.