An ASTERRA – Freese and Nichols Collaboration
The Challenge
Roswell, New Mexico — best known for its place in UFO lore — has another kind of mystery beneath its surface: hidden water leaks. With nearly 49,000 residents and 400 miles of water distribution pipelines, the city sources 11.6 million gallons daily from 20 deep artesian wells — but loses an estimated 2.8 million gallons per day (24%) due to aging infrastructure.
To address this, Roswell launched a proactive leak detection initiative in partnership with engineering firm Freese and Nichols and ASTERRA, as part of a broader Water Utility Master Plan. The goal: pinpoint non-surfacing leaks, reduce real water loss, and generate data to prioritize capital improvement projects.
A Strategic, Technology-Driven Approach
Freese and Nichols — a Texas-based engineering firm with over 130 years of experience — led coordination and execution. ASTERRA contributed its patented L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) analytics, detecting underground soil moisture patterns that match the unique signature of drinking water. Satellite imagery was aligned with Roswell’s pipe network to identify Points of Interest (POIs) — the most likely leak locations — which field crews then confirmed using acoustic pinpointing equipment.
This blended approach of satellite intelligence and ground validation lets crews concentrate resources in high-density leak zones, improving efficiency and directly informing capital planning.
