Dams are essential elements in infrastructure and country’s development. It are historically constructed to store water, however, today dams are built for various purposes, such as irrigation, energy availability, water supply, waste retention, and flood control. All the dams in the world show some degree of leakage, occurring through the foundation, in the contact with the natural terrain or through the dam. One of the main causes of dam rupture is the process of internal erosion caused by leaks. Tracers can be used to understand the water flow in the dam to perform corrective activities to reduce risks. The objective of the study was to research the state of the art of tracers techniques applied to water leakage in dams. We used 78 references, such articles, publications and books, using as inclusion criterion all the materials with the theme involving dams and tracers applied to it. This article reviews these techniques and shows their importance in the early detection of leaks, to realize correct interventions to ensure the stability of the structure, avoiding disasters with incalculable damage to populations and the environment.