Spring a leak? Google will find it through a new partnership aimed at saving water in New Mexico

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Drought-stricken New Mexico is teaming up with Google to hunt for leaky water pipes using satellites. State officials made the announcement as they rolled out a 50-year plan for addressing dwindling drinking water supplies. They said New Mexico is the first state to ink such a partnership. The water plan notes that some systems in New Mexico are losing as much as 70% of all treated drinking water because of breaks and leaks in old infrastructure. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham had campaigned more than four years ago on creating a long-term plan to guide management of the finite resource. On Tuesday, she warned that New Mexico will likely have 25% less water available in five decades.