ASTERRA has entered into a four-year agreement with the state of New Mexico to broaden the use of its ASTERRA Recover technology, a satellite-based system that identifies hidden underground drinking water leaks. State officials say the initiative supports long-term goals outlined in New Mexico’s Fifty-Year Water Action Plan, which focuses on reducing water loss and improving water resilience.
Earlier this year, the New Mexico Environment Department partnered with McKim and Creed, along with five local utilities, to test the leak detection system. According to the state, the project identified and repaired previously undetected leaks and saved an estimated 345 thousand gallons of water per day in the first half of 2025. The new agreement aims to expand this approach across New Mexico and advance the goal of cutting water losses by twenty five per cent by the year 2040.
James Perry, chief executive officer of ASTERRA, said the effort reflects how public investment in technology can produce lasting conservation benefits. He noted that the technology can help limit water loss, reduce operating costs, and support long term stability in water supplies.
Earlier this year, the New Mexico Environment Department partnered with McKim and Creed, along with five local utilities, to test the leak detection system
The program places particular focus on community drinking water systems. Some utilities in the state report real water losses ranging from forty to seventy percent. With more than one thousand utilities, many of them small and rural, the statewide program is designed to offer advanced leak detection tools to providers that may not have had access to such resources in the past.
Jonas Armstrong, director of the Water Protection Division at the New Mexico Environment Department, said the program demonstrates how states can take practical steps to address water challenges. He emphasized that satellite-based leak detection enables small rural utilities to find and repair leaks that might otherwise remain undiscovered.
The partnership highlights New Mexico’s commitment to data-driven water management and underscores the role of collaboration between government agencies and private sector technology providers. By combining satellite analysis with field inspection and repair, officials aim to convert policy into measurable progress on conservation. Each leak identified contributes to infrastructure longevity and improved water security for communities across the state.
