Title: Acoustic Leak Location
By: Ian Peggs, I-CORP INTERNATIONAL

Ian Peggs of I-CORP INTERNATIONAL ready to perform an acoustic leak location survey around column boots in a covered concrete basin water reservoir - head phones to hear acoustic signal, and head lamp to see in the dark!

With the water above the boots and in contact with the concrete column, the electrical method was unable to locate leaks. The acoustic method was capable of differentiating leaks only a few inches apart in the floor/column weld bead. When the water was lowered below the tops of the boots, the electrical method could locate the larger of the two leaks but could not differentiate the smaller leak.

The entrance of a leak as found electrically could be a few inches away from the acoustic signal, probably at the underside discharge location of the leak. The acoustic method also identified the location of the secondary sump under the primary liner by the noise of the leak water falling from the collection pipe into the sump. This noise could be heard from about 40 ft, more so the closer the location to the concrete columns. Twenty seven leaks were found in the 1.25 acre liner.

The acoustic method is most applicable where leaks are adjacent to structures that provide an electrical ground through the geomembrane such as batten strips, metal pipes, plastic pipes that contain water going to ground, etc. For more information on this method of leak location, please contact Ian Peggs at 561-369-0795.