USGS Analyst Falsified Water Quality Test Results

On January 3, 2022, E&E News reported that thousands of water quality tests had been falsified at the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Water Quality Laboratory between March 2019 and June 2020. The laboratory analyzes over 800 inorganic and organic compounds in water samples and biological tissues to support research conducted by other USGS programs. The lab receives nearly 39,000 samples and produces 1.8 million results annually. A scientific integrity report acquired by E&E News via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request found that an unnamed analyst had falsified test results for approximately 2,300 samples. The analyst reportedly acted alone and said they felt "immense" pressure to meet increasingly stringent deadlines for producing results. The scientific integrity report noted that lab employees reported that a lack of consistent leadership had led to "low morale and suspicion of laboratory leadership" among staff. Of the lab's culture, the scientific integrity report noted an “implicit pressure to produce for professional advancement within the laboratory.”

The falsified data was uncovered after a complaint was filed with the Interior Department's Office of the Executive Secretariat and Regulatory Affairs on August 7, 2020, leading to an internal scientific integrity investigation. The investigator determined that the analyst worked alone, falsifying data on nitrogen and phosphorus content in roughly 2,300 water samples. The agency informed users of the affected analyses and made a note in their permanent analysis records to reflect the loss of quality control.