Environment Department partners with Google to find water leaks

The New Mexico Environment Department is partnering with tech giants with a goal to save water and money.

The agency, in conjunction with Google Public Sector and Woolpert Digital Innovations, announced a new initiative dubbed Hydro Delta on Wednesday. It’s a way to use satellites and artificial intelligence to identify water leaks.

“Ensuring access to clean, reliable drinking water is a priority for every state, and Hydro Delta showcases New Mexico’s innovative leadership in using AI to protect this critical resource,” said Brent Mitchell, vice president of go-to-market at Google Public Sector, in a news release.

Hydro Delta leverages Google’s geospatial AI Earth Engine for continuous monitoring of key water indicators, like soil moisture, vegetation health and temperature, according to NMED. The platform finds anomalies, then NMED staff will notify New Mexico’s water systems for investigation.

The project costs $474,000, according to the state, and could potentially save water systems up to $154 million.

“Hydro Delta is a game-changer for New Mexico’s drinking water, especially those systems serving rural New Mexicans,” NMED Secretary James Kenney said in a statement.

Addressing water leaks is a state priority.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham unveiled a 50-Year Water Action Plan earlier this year. The first section of the plan focuses on water conservation, and one of the immediate action items is to do something about water leaks, which cause the loss of 40-70% of all treated drinking water in some areas of New Mexico, according to the plan.

The leaks are often underground and stem from “chronic underinvestment in the infrastructure and water workforce that communities rely upon for clean drinking water,” according to the state plan.

So the plan prioritizes the deployment of “innovative technology and remote sensing techniques” in 2024 to complete an inventory of water loss in New Mexico.

“Thanks to the guidance of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s 50-Year Water Action Plan, our state is taking the lead in protecting our most precious resource in the face of climate impacts that threaten our water security,” Kenney said.