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Drinking Water Testing Advice - Cheating on Water Bacteria Tests InspectAPedia®  -     How much bleach is used to try to cheat or foul up a water potability test? Cheating on Water Tests Cheating on Septic Tests How to Catch Dishonest Water or Septic Testing How to Avoid Water Test & Septic Test Cheating Problems What to Do About Questionable Water Test Results

This article explains why people might do something that prevents you from obtaining an accurate water test, how to detect this bad behavior, and what to do about it. Cheating on drinking water tests may come as a surprise to most folks - who would do such a thing, and why?

Also see Choices of Water Tests & Fees: A Summary of Types of Water Tests, Degrees of Comprehensive Water Testing, Details of Water Test Parameters. and Water Testing Advice based on information from Cornell University of Maryland with extensive edits, text additions, and additional references.

How much bleach will be needed to cheat on water and septic testing?

How much bleach would you need to obscure a septic loading and dye test? Four grams of 12% bleach will remove the coloration of one gram of septic dye in solution according to Tramfloc Inc.

When performing a septic loading and dye test we use a minimum of one tablespoon of septic dye powder - which is about 2/10 of an ounce by weight to dye a 1000 gallon septic tank during a septic dye test. Since an ounce is about 28 grams by weight, this means we're using about 5 grams of powder.

So if my math is correct, 20 grams of 12% bleach would obscure a septic dye test. The cheapest household bleach is about 5.25% in strength. A gallon, or 128 oz, should be more than enough.

It doesn't take much bleach to lie to the dye.

As we mention in the list above, people might shock a well for a legitimate reason, as one step in determining if the building piping or well casing have become soiled and contaminated or after actually doing work on the well pump or piping in the well itself.

Shocking a well with bleach will have only a temporary effect in reducing the bacteria level in water if there is a persistent source of contamination in the water supply.

We discuss this water problem diagnosis procedure in detail at Interpreting Drinking Water Test Results and Correcting Unsatisfactory Drinking Water and the details of well shocking with bleach are located there.

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CHEATING ON WATER TESTS
  Disappearing Septic Dye
  How much bleach to cheat
  Sources of chlorine in water
  How to avoid test dishonesty
  Re Testing Water

WATER TESTING ADVICE
SHOULD YOU TEST YOUR WATER?
PUBLIC vs PRIVATE WATER
WHEN TO TEST
WATER TEST COSTS
SPECIAL SITUATION TESTS
CHEATING ON WATER TESTS
ARSENIC IN WATER
ODORS IN WATER
TOTAL COLIFORM TESTING

• Thanks to Craig Young, Environmental Health Officer, Government of Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada, for noting page format snafu 3 Jan 2008

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• Drinking Water Contamination and Pollution How to Detect, Test, Correct, and Prevent Well Water Contamination - US EPA - Groundwater
• Interpreting & Acting On Drinking Water Test Results what the results mean and what to do about them
• Correcting Unsatisfactory Water what to do, when to do it, treatment alternatives, equipment, filters,
• Water Treatment for Contamination, Hardness, Odors, Sediment, Etc: choices of systems, recommendations
• When and How to Shock or Chlorinate a Well - Procedure for Shocking a Well to (temporarily or maybe longer) "Correct" Bacterial Contamination


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• Drinking Water Testing Advice for home buyers home owners home inspectors
• Choices of Water Tests & Fees: A Summary of Types of Water Tests, Degrees of Comprehensive Water Testing, Details of Water Test Parameters
• Cheating on water tests: Testing Water for Real Estate Transactions - make sure your water test is valid
• General water testing and corrective measure advice: contact your local health department.
• How to Interpret Drinking Water Test Results and How to Correct Unsatisfactory Water
• Drinking Water Contaminant Levels - Maximum Allowed
• Drinking Water Contamination and Pollution How to Detect, Test, Correct, and Prevent Well Water Contamination - US EPA - Groundwater
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• When and How to Shock or Chlorinate a Well - Procedure for Shocking a Well to (temporarily or maybe longer) "Correct" Bacterial Contamination
• Water and Waste Water Test Methods, US EPA
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• ATSDR: Nitrate/Nitrite Toxicity [Big, Slow-Loading File] U.S. Government ATSDR Science Corner - 2.5MB PDF
• Water Supply & Drain Piping, Wells, Pumps, Water Supply Equipment
• The Septic System Information Website - Extensive, Detailed Consumer and Industry Information on Septic System Inspection, Testing, Maintenance, Alternatives for on-site waste disposal
• Sewage or Septic contamination in buildings - Investigation, Testing and Remediation

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