diff --git a/components/elm/src/biogeochem/EcosystemBalanceCheckMod.F90 b/components/elm/src/biogeochem/EcosystemBalanceCheckMod.F90
index a2ad41bf6658..1a9b59f776ea 100644
--- a/components/elm/src/biogeochem/EcosystemBalanceCheckMod.F90
+++ b/components/elm/src/biogeochem/EcosystemBalanceCheckMod.F90
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ subroutine ColCBalanceCheck(bounds, &
          end if
 
          ! check for significant errors
-         if (abs(col_errcb(c)) > 1e-8_r8) then
+         if (abs(col_errcb(c)) > balance_check_tolerance) then
             err_found = .true.
             err_index = c
          end if
@@ -734,7 +734,7 @@ subroutine ColPBalanceCheck(bounds, &
          col_errpb(c) = (col_pinputs(c) - col_poutputs(c))*dt - &
               (col_endpb(c) - col_begpb(c))
 
-         if (abs(col_errpb(c)) > 1e-8_r8) then
+         if (abs(col_errpb(c)) > balance_check_tolerance) then
             err_found = .true.
             err_index = c
          end if