Types of potential leak paths have been related to the quality of the sub-grade material, quality of the cover material, care in the cover material installation and quality of geomembrane installation.

Experience demonstrates that geomembranes can have leaks caused during their installation and placement of material(s) on the liner.

The damage to a geomembrane can be detected using electrical leak location systems. Such systems have been used successfully to locate leak paths in electrically-insulating geomembranes such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, chlorosulfonated polyethylene and bituminous geomembranes installed in basins, ponds, tanks, ore and waste pads, and landfill cells.

The principle behind these techniques is to place a voltage across a synthetic geomembrane liner and then locate areas where electrical current flows through discontinuities in the liner (as shown schematically in Fig. 1). Insulation must be secured prior to a survey to prevent pipe penetrations, flange bolts, steel drains, and batten strips on concrete to conduct electricity through the liner and mask potential leak paths. The liner must act as an insulator across which an electrical potential is applied. This electric detection method of locating potential leak paths in a geomembrane can be performed on exposed liners, on liners covered with water, or on liners covered by a protective soil layer, or both.

FIG. 1 Schematic of Electrical Leak Detection Method