11 February 2010 – Conco Systems offers geomembrane liner leak detection services that are proving to be of major interest to public and private landfill facilities of all sizes. A pioneer in the use of tracer gases to perform leak testing since 1978, Conco utilizes helium or sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas to detect leaks in primary and secondary landfill cell liners. These liners are welded together to create an impermeable barrier designed to prevent leachate material from entering the soil below. Over time, tears, pinholes, seam leaks and original construction defects can allow leachate to flow through at up to several hundred gallons a day, especially during periods of heavy rain.
Depending on leak severity, Conco’s trained personnel, who average 20+ years experience in leak detection, determine whether to mobilize with their Helium Mass Spectrometer System, the state-of-the-art Conco Fluorotracer™ Analyzer System, or both systems. Recently, Conco has innovated new technology to improve the speed and reliability of detecting tracer gas through even the smallest pinhole leaks. The new technology allows technicians to cover a larger area on each survey pass, and reduces the overall survey time.
A recent landfill customer reveals that a Conco leak detection survey located several tears and liner separations, reducing contaminant leaks by 600 gallons per day. Considering landfill construction costs and environmental issues, Conco’s geomembrane liner leak detection service has proven to be a viable and cost-effective solution for locating leaks at landfills and surface impoundments.
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