The requirement for the protection of the environment and public health is increasing at tailings dams and heap leach facilities. The installation of a geomembrane liner provides an additional level of safety and facilitates community and regulatory approval, since the liner is perceived as a guarantee of a low-permeability barrier. However, even under strict CQA protocols, installed liners may contain defects that are not detectable by visual observation or traditional field tests, such as vacuum tests. By incorporating electrical leak location (ELL) using the arc testing method (ASTM D7953-14) as an additional layer of quality control into the CQA protocols, liner defects as small as 1 mm can be detected and repaired. This technology increases the safety of the facility by several orders of magnitude, both from an environmental and a stability point of view, by eliminating leaks and potential future differential settlement or even collapse of the lined facility. Based on real case field data, the authors will demonstrate the results that can be obtained with this technology.