Are Gas Stations in ID, UT, and WA Watering Down Fuel?

Some people have been claiming online that gas purchased at popular pumps has been mixed with water.

Is it true? Can gas stations mix their fuel with water to make it less expensive and last longer?

Are Gas Stations in ID, UT, and WA Watering Down Fuel to Save Money?

Technically, yes - a gas station (or a car owner) could mix water into their fuel in an attempt to fill the tank for less money. But, adding water to gasoline will lead to engine damage and repair costs that would far outweigh the savings in fuel at the pump.

Many gas stations have technology in place to monitor fuel quality and make sure there isn’t water or excessive sediment in their tanks that would damage customer cars. But NBC says watered-down gas is more common than you think. They explain the watered-down gas reports are due to stations that fail inspections, which is another system in place to ensure gasoline is clean and won’t damage customer vehicles.

That doesn’t mean water in gas can’t happen, but it does mean that the gas station is NOT watering down your fuel to save them money and increase your fuel economy - because that’s not how science works.

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VIDEO: Is ‘Watered Down’ Gas Being Sold in UT, WA, and ID?

CBS reported in 2023 that a gas station had been tested and water was found in their tanks so they were unable to sell that fuel. One customer took her car to a mechanic who told her the tank was ‘filled with more than 90% water’.

Water and gasoline do not mix so a test of fuel would show a visual separation in the sample. This video shares an instance in Denver where a gas station sold fuel with water in the gas.

Some water in gasoline, especially gas with ethanol, will have some water since ethanol absorbs moisture from the air. Another video on social media shows what gasoline mixed with water looks like.

So, can gas stations mix water into their fuel to save money? The answer is no. But that doesn’t mean your fuel won’t accidentally have water in it.

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LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli

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