Liners comprising of geomembrane layer placed over soil layer, are extensively used in waste containment systems for the prevention of soil and groundwater contamination. These liners oper-ate in harsh physicochemical and mechanical conditions. Hence, their performance tends to get compro-mised over the intended design life. Defects often develop in the geomembrane due to poor placement practices and severe operating conditions. Subsequent environmental pollution ensues because of such de-fects. Therefore, it becomes critical to detect leakage issues as soon as they arise. The early leak detection is of vital importance for timely and economical hazard mitigation. Many different methods for leak de-tection are available, however, the electrical resistivity method is most feasible owing to its low opera-tional cost and easy operability. Most soils have very high electrical resistivity values compared to that of contaminating fluids such as landfill leachates. Consequently, the leakage of even a small amount of leachate may cause significant rise in the electrical conductivity of the soil which can be easily detected. This paper outlines the development of an innovative system for the detection and localization of leaks in geomembrane liner placed over soil using the electrical resistivity method. Leak was introduced inten-tionally in the geomembrane and the resulting changes in the electrical resistivity of the underlying soil were observed. The newly developed system has been found to effectively detect and locate leakage in the geomembrane liner. The technique can find application in the effective handling, storage and man-agement of wastes by waste containment facilities.
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