DENVER, Colo. — How do you know that the pound of potatoes you buy at the store or the gallon of gas you put in your car is the same every time? It’s thanks to the Weights and Measures standards established on a national and international level.
On March 2, 1799, President John Adams signed into law a Congressional Act that called for establishing uniform standards for weights and measures. Before then, each state had its own system for weighing and measuring consumer products. President Adams’ signature that day was an important first step in regulating national standards for weights and measures and regulating their use.
The week of March 1 – 7 has been designated as National Weights and Measures Week, a time to celebrate the work of inspectors who ensure the devices used to weigh and measure products for consumers are accurate. Governor Jared Polis has signed a proclamation commemorating Weights and Measures Week in Colorado.
There have been significant changes in how products are weighed and measured. Today, scales are often computerized and new technologies are constantly being introduced. Companies are even developing apps to interface with the precision weighing and measuring equipment to provide better flexibility to both businesses and consumers.
Yet for all the myriad changes and improvements, one constant has remained. Just as they have for decades, thousands of weights and measures inspectors still go out every day to inspect and test weighing and measuring equipment and pre-packaged products. Their work is as vital as ever, providing businesses and consumers with a protection that promotes economic development through equity in the marketplace.
In Colorado, inspectors in two state agencies – the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Labor and Employment – combine forces to test the accuracy of weights and measurement devices every day.
Inspectors with the Measurement Standards Program of the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) regularly test the accuracy of scales so consumers will know they are getting exactly what they are paying for in the produce aisles, deli counters or wherever they purchase items based on weight. These inspectors also check the scales at grain elevators and livestock sales across the state and even make sure the scales at DIA are accurately weighing travelers’ luggage. The State Metrology Laboratory (located within CDA) calibrates the measurement devices used by both CDA and CDLE inspectors as well as licensed providers. In 2023, the laboratory tested 11,532 devices for mass, volume and frequency. The lab is also the custodian of Colorado's official standards which are traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Inspectors with the Division of Oil and Public Safety, a part of the Department of Labor and Employment, check the metering devices in gasoline dispensers to ensure pinpoint accuracy. They take samples of the fuel products at gas stations throughout Colorado and analyze them for quality. Similar inspections are done on retail and bulk propane, diesel meters, and compressed and liquefied natural gas dispensers. Each year the Colorado program inspects more than 55,000 gas pumps and hundreds of fuel oil and propane truck meters.
Consumers who have questions or concerns about gas dispensed at a Colorado service station, should contact the Weights and Measures Section of the Division of Oil and Public Safety at (303) 318-8525 or by email at cdle_ops@state.co.us.
Consumers with questions about the accuracy of produce scales should contact the Measurement Standards Program with the Department of Agriculture at (303) 477-4220 or submit a complaint online.