Caption title. At head of title: Project summary. Distributed to depository libraries in microfiche. "Apr. 1984." "EPA/600-S2-84-058."

"A project was conducted to develop reliable, nondestructive methods for detecting leaks in lined waste impoundments before the leachate can seriously damage the ground water. A second goal was to find a technique to locate the precise area where a known leak is occurring. After a preliminary study involving a literature review, a state-of-the-art survey, and a ranking matrix exercise, two techniques were recommended for immediate further study - acoustic emission monitoring (AEM) and time domain reflectometry (TOR). AEM determines the amplitude and frequency responses of sounds emitted when water flows at different rates through soils. TDR is a high-frequency electromagnetic technique that measures the electrical properties of materials in and around the conductors of a transmission line. Laboratory and field studies were undertaken to evaluate the potential of these two techniques. Results indicated that AEM potentially offers a practical and inexpensive technique for leak detection and monitoring in both existing and planned liquid waste impoundments. TDR appears to be a practical method for detecting and determining the position and extent of a leak under a small waste impoundment liner. Further testing is needed to determine the usefulness of both techniques in the field, however."