North Kingstown officials reported that a contracted leak‑detection program identified 44 leaks across 182 miles of pipeline and that repairing approximately 90% of those leaks represented an estimated avoided water loss valued at $204,807.

Town Manager Ralph told the council the town retained Astera Technologies (the transcript spells the vendor name as 'Astera'/'Astira' in places) to perform the satellite leak detection program. The initial program cost was $85,000; according to the manager, the utility‑scale assessment allowed the water department to locate and repair leaks that otherwise would have continued to lose treated water and revenue. The manager said the executive summary for the project is available on the town website.

Why it matters: Reducing unaccounted‑for water conserves a finite resource and lowers operating costs for the water utility. The manager presented the cost of the program versus the estimated reduction in lost water as an efficiency gain for the department.

Details: The report identified 44 leaks within the scanned network; staff repaired roughly 90% of those leaks. The program cost was $85,000 and the manager cited a quantified potential loss figure of $204,807 that the repairs mitigated. The town posted an executive summary and additional details on the town website for public review.