Leak Detection Equipment Helps Taos Water Systems Conserve Precious Resources

When Taos residents were experiencing underground water leaks that wasted limited water supplies, strained system allocations, and reduced service capacity across the county’s water systems, members of the newly formed Greater Valle de Taos Water Alliance—representing all 16 Mutual Domestic Water Associations in Taos County—identified a solution: purchasing advanced leak-detection equipment that could be shared across all systems.

These invisible leaks often appeared only as unexpectedly high bills, and residents—especially elders and low-income households—faced significant barriers to affording the $1,000–$1,500 cost of private leak-location services.

LOR’s funding helped the Alliance purchase combined ground-penetrating radar and sonic leak-detection equipment to identify underground leaks on both system mains and residential service lines. The shared equipment will enable free, countywide leak detection for all member associations, reducing system-wide water loss that currently averages about 10%, lowering household bills, and expanding water availability for additional homes. This investment strengthens the first coordinated, countywide water collaboration of its kind in Taos County—formed through a formal MOU in response to the 2023 New Mexico Drinking Water System Resiliency Act—while demonstrating unified commitment among all 16 associations as they work toward shared goals and future regionalization support.