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CHEATING ON WATER TESTS - Testing Water for Real Estate Transactions - Water Test Cheating Warnings for Home Buyers and Home Inspectors

The Shocking Case of the Disappearing Septic Dye

Why would someone cheat on a water potability or bacteria test?: perhaps it's the pressure of the deal - a real estate transaction is an unusual event with lots of pressure on the participants. Or perhaps some people just don't take the health of new building occupants seriously. There are ways to fudge a water test other than the obvious one of collecting the test for building "A" from a known good "source B" at another location. I have encountered a distressing number of cases in which I arrived at a property to collect a water test sample only to discover (by means I discuss below) that someone had attempted to cheat by temporarily sterilizing (with bleach) a contaminated water supply. After encountering this problem a number of times I began testing for cheating before testing for bacteria.

How can we detect dishonest water or septic tests?: These photos and case report illustrate how the septic system test process may actually catch someone's attempt to cheat on a water potability test by shocking the well with bleach right before the inspection. Shocking a well can obscure unsanitary drinking water and it might disguise a septic system that is not working.

At a property inspection I noted that the approach to the home was along a causeway through a swamp - the house sat on a rise of land surrounded by wetlands. With very little dry land around the home, it seemed to me unlikely that the property could possibly have a working well and a working conventional septic system (though special equipment could be installed there was none.) But we were informed that these systems were in good working order.

The two photos above show a similar case in which an old home-made septic tank was located just a few feet from a public lake. You can see our septic test water pouring into the septic tank in the upper right part of the right hand photo.]

Bleach in a Water Supply can Hide Septic Dye in the Septic Tank or at Ground Surfaces

The two photos below are of septic dye on a wet leafy ground surface were adjusted in my lab (we boosted the photo's color saturation) for purpose of illustration, to show how a green septic dye may fade to clear when exposed to bleach in the water supply.

We put in some septic dye: During conduct of my septic loading and dye test I introduced a florescent septic tracer dye into the waste system and turned on the building water supply to load the system. Luckily there was access to the septic tank (which I opined was way too close to the wetlands).

We saw the dye entering the septic tank, but ...: Peering into the septic tank I could see my septic tracer dyed water entering the tank. To my amazement, the dye was disappearing immediately on entering the tank rather than staining that water as well.

Do not lean over the septic tank: It's dangerous to lean over or into a septic tank (it can be fatal) so I didn't look further. I had heard of this exact phenomenon from my (now departed) friend Steve Vermilye who had encountered the same thing, which we dubbed the "shocking case of the disappearing septic dye". Fortunately for the home buyer (and too bad for the water test cheater) I knew what this disappearing septic dye meant.

Owner explains why septic dye disappears: I asked Mrs. owner if there were any problems with the well or septic. Happily she was far more forthcoming than the other parties to the selling end of the transaction. "Well," she said, "we were told by XX [name withheld so as to avoid being sued by a large powerful national group] that there would be no problem if we just poured some Clorox(TM) into our well early this morning before you got here. We were told to run the water until the smell was gone from our fixtures."

What could I make of this? "Shocking the well" with bleach might indeed temporarily hide a bacterial contamination of the water source - it would never "fix" a real problem if one were present. At this point we didn't know if the water source was contaminated or not. But the large amount of bleach put into the system earlier in the day was resting at such high concentration in the septic tank that it was literally bleaching out my dye as it entered!

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.

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.

Sources of chlorine in drinking water from private wells and public water supplies

Chlorine in private well water? From what cause or what source do we find chlorine in water? One would not expect to find chlorine in well water from a private residence except for a few conditions, most of which indicate a concern for the sanitation of the water supply.

• Chlorinator installed: The water supply may be known to be unsanitary, and a chlorine injection system may be installed. If post-processing of the chlorinated water is not properly adjusted, odors of chlorine may be present at fixtures, or may be detected by testing with a Hach or similar test kit. If a treatment system is installed, you can find it, make sure it's working, test the well to determine what's really needed, and be sure that the treatment system is properly maintained.
• Municipal water supplied: The water may not be from a private well - you may have misunderstood or been misinformed. Community water supplies often contain chlorinated water. Old wells and complete water supply systems are sometimes left in place after a home is connected to a municipal water supply. Most municipalities are careful to be certain that the homeowner has no physical plumbing connections between the well water system and the municipal system, as they don't want to risk back-contamination of their supply. An old well might be kept working, for example, to water laws or wash cars. Follow the pipes in the building to be sure you know where water is entering and from what source it arrives.
• Recent well shock treatment after work on the well: the well may have been shocked as normal good procedure following work on and removal/replacement of a submersible pump or piping in the well itself. Chlorine from this or any well shock treatment is left in place (typically for 24 hours at the proper concentration of chlorine), then flushed from the well quite thoroughly in order to avoid giving the occupants chlorine to drink or to accidentally bleach their clothes. So unless a well shock for a legitimate reason is virtually in process at the time of an independent test that detects chlorine, we'd suspect something darker, discussed in the next bullet. [Thanks to SGP Rich for this tip -- DJF 5.2006]
• Recent well shock treatment to Hide a Problem: The well supplying the building may have been recently "shocked" with bleach either in a attempt (questionable) to correct a known bacterial contamination problem, or in a attempt to disguise a known contamination situation (highly dishonest and dangerous).
• If readers know of other reasons why we'd find chlorine in a private water supply, please let me know.

As I 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.

I 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

How to Avoid Well Water Test Cheats & Septic Test Dishonesty

• Requests to Realtors/Sellers: ask that no "special" water treatment and no septic system work of any kind be performed in the two weeks before an inspection and test are scheduled.
• Examine equipment supplying and treating water in the building. Note if a chlorinator, water softener, UV light system, or other "water purification" equipment is installed or has been installed (such as noting an equipment hookup or footprint even if the equipment has been removed).
• Water sampling strategy: might include collecting water samples from both before and after any water treatment equipment, but beware that dirty un-used faucets such as at a basement water tank or outdoors could be a point source of bacterial contamination of the water test.
• How to avoid being duped by duplicitous well shockers: if I am collecting a water sample for bacterial testing I conduct a Hach Test for chlorine before collecting my water sample. In inspecting properties in the Northeastern U.S., particularly in the remote country in areas of bad soils, I find that someone has subverted our water test perhaps 5 or 10 times a year. The subversion by bleach ("well shocking") may have been done in ignorance, out of anxiety that a problem might be present, or out of an actual wish to hide a known issue. We don't need to figure out motives, but it's wise to avoid a false "OK" on a water coliform test when a well has been shocked, or might have been.

How to Test the Water Supply or Septic Effluent for Evidence of the Presence of Chlorine

Re Testing Water When a Well has Been Shocked or Sterilized

When to re-test a well that has been shocked with chlorine, Clorox(TM) or other disinfectants: This question is explained at" When to re-test a well that has been shocked with chlorine bleach or some other disinfectant". Watch out! Testing too soon or testing water improperly after chlorine or other disinfectants have been in use is likely to give false results.

Technical Reviewers

Particular thanks are due to experts and also consumers who read these articles and suggest corrections, changes, and additions to the material. Content suggestions, technical corrections and content critique are invited for any of the content at our website.

• Daniel Friedman - principal author/editor of the InspectAPedia ^© Website
• Thanks to Craig Young, Environmental Health Officier, Government of Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada, for noting page format snafu 3 Jan 2008
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More Information on Testing and Correcting Unsanitary Drinking Water & Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• 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


• Drinking Water testing, contamination, correction - all topics
• 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
• How to Reduce Lead Contamination in Drinking Water: how to test & correction lead in drinking water
• Extreme Lead Poisoning Symptoms Suggested by Feb 2006 NY Times Article on Kosovo Roma Camps
• 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
• Water Requirements, Home & Outdoor Living
• 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 Equipmentt
• 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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