Inspectors keep the gasoline pumps honest

OLYMPIA -- Six inspectors have been added to the agency that checks Washington's 49,000 gas pumps to make sure people are getting all the gas for which they pay close to $4 a gallon.

"We've seen a very marked increase in complaints from citizens about gas pumps," said Kirk Robinson, state Weights and Measures Program manager.

Inspector Tahis McQueen says people get excited when they see her working and realize what she's doing.

But her department has some good news to report. Of 1,800 pumps checked in the first three months of the year, 94 percent passed inspection as being accurate. Of the 115 pumps that were inaccurate, there was about a 50-50 split between those giving less than they displayed and those giving more, Robinson said.

Inspectors take pumps out of service if they are giving customers less than they paid for. The program is popular with station owners as well, because when inspectors find an error is in the customer's favor, the state informs the station operator.

"What happens is that the meters wear, and as the meters wear, they get sloppy and more gas gets through them," said Tim Hamilton, executive director of the Automotive United Trades Organization, which represents independent gasoline dealers.

The program, which now has 14 inspectors, is paid for by an annual $10-per-pump fee paid by operators. Each pump is inspected about once every 28 months, but the inspectors also respond to citizen complaints.

"It ensures that the integrity of the gallon is out there," Hamilton said.

About one-fifth of public complaints are valid, Robinson said. Those complaints include reports of jump starting, in which the meter on the pump starts recording a sale before any fuel is pumped.

Inspectors test each pump station and each grade of octane. They compare the amount a pump reports to the amount actually dispensed in their calibrated containers. If a pump is more than 0.5 percent off -- the equivalent of 6.4 ounces in 10 gallons -- it fails the inspection.

If a pump is taken out of service, it can be used again after a certified technician repairs it. State inspectors may spot-check the repair to see if the pump is accurate, but the second check is not required.