Google has long been known for helping us find answers, directions, and what our childhood home looks like now. Recently, the company added a new item to this list, and it may surprise you: Google is teaming up with New Mexico to hunt for leaky water pipes.
As detailed by the Associated Press, Google will suss out the suspect pipes as New Mexico, a state already plagued by drought, readies for growing demand that will undoubtedly add pressure to an already shrinking supply of drinking water.
While New Mexico is far from the only state in danger of running out of safe drinking water because of groundwater depletion, saltwater intrusion, and other factors, it is the first to take this step.
The partnership is part of a 50-year plan by the state to address the problem that will likely only worsen, as extreme droughts are a result of a rapidly warming planet. The water plan further highlights that some systems in the state are losing between 40% and 70% of all treated drinking water because of breaks and leaks in old infrastructure. Breaks and leaks that Google's satellites will be able to spot using remote sensing techniques to conduct an inventory of water loss across more than 1,000 public water systems.
Along with addressing outdated and problematic infrastructure, the plan calls for cleaning up contaminated groundwater — a global issue worsened by rising global temperatures — encouraging investments in desalination and wastewater treatment, and improving mapping and monitoring of surface and groundwater sources.
We already use satellites to monitor methane leaks, deforestation, and other issues, and eco-friendly initiatives such as Google's will help ensure communities have access to clean drinking water for decades to come.
"We see a path forward around our water conservation, around making sure we have the water availability that we need — driven by science — cleaning up and protecting our water and watersheds," said Rebecca Roose, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's senior infrastructure adviser. "I think this is going to live and evolve and grow."
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