In drought-prone New Mexico, water scarcity is almost a way of life, and leaks in water systems waste up to 70% of treated drinking water in some areas.
Hydro Delta, a cutting-edge project by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), uses satellite imagery and AI to detect and address water leaks efficiently. It is a collaboration between the NMED, Google Cloud/Google Earth Engine, and Woolpert Digital Innovations; the initiative publicly launched in April 2024.
The big picture
New Mexico's 50-year water plan aims to tackle two major challenges: adding water to the system and conserving the water already available.
Meta Hirschl, NMED's Chief Data & Technology Steward, explains:
“Most states in the country would say that they lose between 30 to 70% of their water in leaks. And this isn’t water from wastewater, this is drinking water. So, we’ve gone to the trouble to clean the water, and now it’s going into the ground and nobody’s getting the benefit of it.”
Unlike urban water main breaks that are immediately visible, leaks in New Mexico often seep into the ground unnoticed, making detection a unique challenge.
How it works
Hydro Delta uses publicly available satellite imagery from platforms like NASA and Sentinel, analyzed with AI to identify “water anomalies.” This approach makes use of cost-effective tools to locate leaks in rural and urban systems.
"Can we leverage those inputs to help us find water leaks? That was our goal. And Woolpert said yes," Hirschl says.
The system identifies changes in soil temperature, vegetation, and elevation to flag potential leaks. While the resolution isn’t pinpoint-precise (30-square-meter accuracy), it significantly reduces guesswork and unnecessary excavation.
Early success stories
In the summer of 2022, the Village of Chama faced a systemwide water outage lasting several weeks during the height of the summer tourism season. To identify the source of the leaks, contractors deployed advanced spatial technology, including aerial flyovers and satellite imaging.
That event was the foundation for calibrating the Hydro Delta platform.
The project is now in Phase One, with the team testing the platform and training water experts to validate its findings. In Tranquillo Pines, a small neighborhood outside Albuquerque, Hydro Delta has helped pinpoint leaks in a system losing half its water supply. This has been crucial for both drinking water and firefighting resources.
A vision for the future
Hydro Delta is gearing up to be publicly accessible through an app, allowing community members to report leaks in real time. The app will integrate geolocation, photos, and videos to enhance satellite data, creating a collaborative system for detecting leaks.
Addressing aging infrastructure
Hydro Delta is more than a leak-detection tool, however; it’s a strategic asset for addressing larger infrastructure problems. Across New Mexico (and, naturally, across the rest of the U.S.), aging infrastructure is a major challenge. The threats to public safety will only grow more dire as time goes on, so it's vital that local teams get out in front of any problems.
Identifying leaks might be an important first step in doing so.
“If you have a leak here and here, you probably got the whole line problem, you probably need to replace [it],” Hirschl says.
The tool helps utilities focus on high-priority repairs and tap into funding sources like state revolving funds and federal grants.
“A lot of rural infrastructure dollars don’t get spent,” Hirschl says. “Hydro Delta helps focus where you might want to add those infrastructure dollars.”
Local heroes at work
Hirschl underscores the dedication of volunteers and local officials in rural areas:
“The people I’ve talked with in these small communities are so civic-minded and hardworking. These are not people saying, ‘You fix it.’ These are people who are saying, ‘What do I do?’”
She recounts stories of retired volunteers conducting midnight tests to confirm leaks, a testament to the community-driven nature of water management in New Mexico.
The bottom line
Hydro Delta combines innovative technology, AI-driven analysis, and grassroots engagement to address one of New Mexico’s most pressing challenges.
“The Hydro Delta platform is taxpayer money,” Hirschl says. “We’re not hiding it from anybody. And if you wonder where your water’s going, you’re welcome to look.”
By providing a smarter, more efficient approach to water management, Hydro Delta sets an example for other states grappling with similar challenges.
As New Mexico works toward a more sustainable future, Hydro Delta offers a clear path forward—one leak at a time.
