Water utilities are losing water they cannot see, in places they have not looked yet, through pipes that have been quietly failing for years. Global non-revenue water (NRW) losses consistently run in the range of 20–40% for many systems, a staggering volume of treated, pressurized, fully processed water that never reaches a customer. In developing regions, the World Bank estimates losses regularly exceed 40% of water produced. The loss isn’t just financial. It’s operational. It’s environmental. And for utilities under regulatory pressure, it is no longer acceptable.
For over a decade, ASTERRA has been using L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite technology to detect the presence of potable water in the soil, differentiating it from other water types and identifying where it exists at levels indicative of a leak — scanning entire networks at scale. The ASTERRA Recover satellite leak detection solution has located more than 200,000 leaks in over 60 countries and driven repairs that have collectively saved trillions of liters of water around the world. The satellite narrows the search; acoustic loggers, correlators, and field technicians with listening equipment confirm and locate the leak on the ground.
ASTERRA is taking the next major step in equipping water utilities with the most capable version of its satellite-driven leak detection platform to date, opening the door to a new era of integrated intelligence.
Introducing EO Discover 3.0
From Satellite Leak Detection to Guided Field Decision, In One Platform
EO Discover is ASTERRA’s platform for managing and acting on satellite-based leak results—a place where utilities can review detections, prioritize investigations, and build field action plans.
Version 3.0 represents a fundamental leap in that vision: the platform goes deeper into the operational workflow, giving teams more powerful tools to filter, visualize, prioritize, and act without leaving a single environment. Together, the capabilities included in EO Discover 3.0 create a full operational workflow environment designed to take a utility from satellite detection to crew dispatch in a single, connected workspace.
The capabilities below are rolling out over the coming weeks as part of the EO Discover 3.0 release, with availability varying throughout the rollout period.
Advanced Filters
Utility operators can filter by DMA, pipe diameter, pipe material, leak source, crew assignment, and leak size. The filters work together, and the dashboard metrics update in real time at every step.
In practice, this means: A utility managing aging cast iron mains and modern PVC pipelines can isolate exactly those segments, overlay ASTERRA satellite leak results, and build a targeted investigation list in minutes rather than days. A manager reviewing crew performance can filter by team, compare workload distribution, and identify coverage gaps. The filters don’t just narrow the data; they make the data actionable at every level of the organization.
Heatmaps & Cluster Maps
Apply filters, then switch to heatmap mode; the map transforms. The heatmap and cluster map views update in real time as filters are applied, enabling utilities to see which zones are lighting up and where their biggest exposure is.
In practice, this means: For a senior leader presenting to a board, a heatmap of a high-signal area is worth ten minutes of explanation. For an asset manager planning a capital rehabilitation project, a cluster map showing recurring satellite results in the same area over three consecutive scans is exactly the evidence needed to justify pipe replacement.
Action Item Management
Asset managers and utility operators can create, edit, and update action items directly from the map interface, without leaving the platform, without toggling between tools, without losing context. A unified pop-up editor handles quick updates to status, notes, and photos.
In practice, this means: Workflow fragmentation is a big hidden cost in leak detection operations. Every time a manager has to export data, switch to a spreadsheet, re-import results, or reconcile records across systems, they are losing time and introducing the risk of error. EO Discover 3.0 closes that loop.
Customer Layer & File Upload
Utilities can import and overlay their own GIS layers, pipe data, or operational files directly onto ASTERRA’s map environment. Layers can be static (for visual context, like access points or restricted zones) or dynamic (participating in spatial and intersection analyses, pipe attributes, work orders, monitored segments).
In practice, this means: Every utility has its own GIS stack, its own asset records, its own operational context. With customer layers, their data and ASTERRA’s data share the same operational environment, enriching both. A satellite leak result that overlaps a 1950s-era cast iron segment with a documented repair history reads very differently than one on a recently replaced polyethylene main.
Polygons
Operations managers responsible for crew planning and dispatch draw custom polygons directly on the map to define specific investigation zones. Polygons support the full investigation workflow and lay the groundwork for direct syncing with action items.
In practice, this means: Sometimes the right investigation area is not a DMA boundary or a pipe material filter. It is a specific block, a stretch of network that field experience says deserves a closer look, or a defined area tied to a particular pressure management program. The ability to draw that zone directly on the map and work from it gives field planners a level of flexibility that goes beyond what standard filters alone can offer.
A Refreshed Interface
EO Discover 3.0 introduces a refined UI designed to support the new capabilities: improved layer visibility controls and a more intuitive workspace navigation that lets users move between services without losing filter state.
The Recover API: ASTERRA Intelligence, Integrated into Existing Workflows
EO Discover 3.0 is the platform for teams who want to work directly with their satellite-based leak results all in one place. But ASTERRA’s reach does not stop at the platform boundary.
For utilities that want ASTERRA intelligence embedded directly into existing GIS, asset management, and operational systems, the Recover API extends that capability beyond the platform.
The Recover API enables utilities to pull ASTERRA Recover detection results, operational outcomes, and field data directly into their own platforms via an API. No manual exports. No file transfers. No context switching between systems.
The Recover API makes ASTERRA’s satellite intelligence a native part of the utility’s operational stack.
Who This Is Built For
OPERATIONS MANAGERS
EO Discover 3.0 serves as the prioritization engine for operations managers. They can apply filters to identify the most at-risk pipe segments, use the heatmap to understand where signals are concentrated, and upload operational data to add local context. The platform helps build investigation plans that maximize the use of available crews. Every KPI on the dashboard updates in real time as the view is refined.
ASSET MANAGERS
The heatmap serves as a capital planning tool for asset managers. Using EO Discover 3.0, they can correlate detection data with pipe age, material, and GIS layers to establish a defensible foundation for rehabilitation decisions. Built-in action item management keeps investigation records current without requiring users to leave the platform.
FIELD TECHNICIANS
Field technicians arrive on-site knowing the satellite has already identified a potential leak. The filters, heatmap analysis, and prioritization completed in EO Discover ensure that every assignment is backed by the strongest available signals in the network. That is not a small thing—it is the difference between investigating on instinct and investigating with data-driven confidence.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP & EXECUTIVE TEAMS
NRW reduction is becoming a board-level priority for utilities, driven by regulatory pressure, water scarcity, rate justification requirements, and the growing cost of inaction. EO Discover 3.0 provides the visibility needed to track investigation progress, crew performance, and leak repair outcomes across the organization. The Recover API enables ASTERRA detection data to flow directly into enterprise systems, extending intelligence beyond the platform.
The Satellite Has Always Known
The water that disappears into the ground before it reaches a customer does not vanish without a trace. It changes the moisture content of the soil. It creates a signature that satellite radar can see from 390 miles (628 km) up. ASTERRA has been reading that signature for over a decade and building an industry-leading algorithm to turn signals into insights.
EO Discover 3.0 and the Recover API represent ASTERRA’s most significant step yet toward making that intelligence fully actionable, for every person in the utility organization, at every level of the workflow, in whatever system they use to run their operations.
The satellite has always known. Now utilities can act on it — with precision, at scale, and with confidence.
Ready to See EO Discover 3.0 in Action?
Visit us at ACE 2026 at Booth 955 for a live demo of the new platform capabilities! If you can’t make it, reach out to our technical account team to answer any questions.
