Independent assurance for what must not leak
CQA & Environmental Containment Testing
Construction quality assurance (CQA) for environmental containment independently verifies that landfill liners, lagoons and containment systems are built as designed — through geomembrane seam testing, electrical leak location and materials testing. Metlab provides CQA services meeting EPA licensing expectations in Ireland.
Containment pipework aligned on site under quality assurance
Overview
A containment liner has one job, and no second chance once waste or leachate is on top of it. That is why EPA-licensed facilities are expected to demonstrate independent CQA during construction — a verified record that every weld, seam and layer met specification before commissioning.
Metlab delivers the full CQA evidence chain: destructive and non-destructive seam testing, electrical leak location surveys, soils and clay liner testing (including triaxial permeability), and the independent documentation that satisfies licence conditions and their auditors.
Geosynthetics & liner verification
Polymer seam destructive testing
Shear and peel testing of geomembrane welds
Electrical leak location surveys
Detecting liner breaches before and after cover placement
Liner installation surveillance
Independent monitoring of welding, testing and repairs
Earthworks & clay liners
Triaxial permeability testing
Verifying clay liner hydraulic conductivity
Compaction & MCV testing
Engineered clay placement control
Particle size & classification
Material conformity for liner and drainage layers
Documentation & assurance
CQA plans & final validation reports
The record regulators and licensees rely on
Quality audits
Independent audit of installer QC
QA personnel
Site-based CQA monitoring throughout construction
Why it matters
01
Licence conditions expect independence
EPA waste licences and industrial emissions licences lean on independently verified construction records. CQA from an accredited testing organisation is the cleanest way to produce them.
02
Leak location finds what visual QC cannot
Most liner damage happens after welding — during cover placement. Electrical leak location surveys detect breaches at the only moment repair is still simple.
03
One partner across materials
Geomembranes, clays, drainage aggregates and pipework each need different tests. Metlab covers the full containment system, lab and field.
Common questions
Asked before every engagement.
Something more specific? A specialist will answer it directly.
Ask usWhat does a CQA programme for a lined facility include?
Typically: conformance testing of delivered materials, monitoring and testing of clay liner placement, destructive and non-destructive testing of geomembrane seams, electrical leak location after installation and/or cover placement, and a final validation report compiling the evidence.
When should electrical leak location be carried out?
Ideally twice — after liner installation (exposed survey) and again after drainage stone or cover placement (dipole survey), because cover placement is when most damage occurs.
Do you work for the contractor or the operator?
CQA is normally commissioned by the facility owner/operator (or their engineer) precisely because it must be independent of the installer. We report findings without commercial interest in the installation.
Testing · Inspection · Certification
Need cqa & containment?
Send the specification or describe the asset — a specialist replies with method, price and turnaround.