diff --git a/alyx/actions/water_control.py b/alyx/actions/water_control.py
index b27cc2fd..ef6ad685 100644
--- a/alyx/actions/water_control.py
+++ b/alyx/actions/water_control.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 from operator import attrgetter, itemgetter
 import os.path as op
 
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.urls import reverse
 from django.utils.html import format_html
 from django.http import HttpResponse
@@ -563,7 +564,9 @@ def water_control(subject):
         implant_weight=subject.implant_weight
     )
     wc.add_threshold(percentage=rw_pct + zw_pct, bgcolor=PALETTE['orange'], fgcolor='#FFC28E')
-    wc.add_threshold(percentage=.7, bgcolor=PALETTE['red'], fgcolor='#F08699', line_style='--')
+    if absolute_min := settings.WEIGHT_THRESHOLD:
+        wc.add_threshold(
+            percentage=absolute_min, bgcolor=PALETTE['red'], fgcolor='#F08699', line_style='--')
     # Water restrictions.
     wrs = sorted(list(subject.actions_waterrestrictions.all()), key=attrgetter('start_time'))
     # Reference weight.
diff --git a/alyx/alyx/settings_lab_template.py b/alyx/alyx/settings_lab_template.py
index 8d3bfc49..da96bc8d 100644
--- a/alyx/alyx/settings_lab_template.py
+++ b/alyx/alyx/settings_lab_template.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 DEFAULT_PROTOCOL = '1'
 SUPERUSERS = ('root',)
 STOCK_MANAGERS = ('root',)
-WEIGHT_THRESHOLD = 0.75
+WEIGHT_THRESHOLD = 0.8  # Absolute minimum weight threshold (red line in plots)
 DEFAULT_LAB_NAME = 'defaultlab'
 WATER_RESTRICTIONS_EDITABLE = False  # if set to True, all users can edit water restrictions
 DEFAULT_LAB_PK = '4027da48-7be3-43ec-a222-f75dffe36872'
diff --git a/scripts/sync_ucl/prune_cortexlab.py b/scripts/sync_ucl/prune_cortexlab.py
index 1e04db2e..3f24ee2e 100755
--- a/scripts/sync_ucl/prune_cortexlab.py
+++ b/scripts/sync_ucl/prune_cortexlab.py
@@ -45,8 +45,7 @@
 
 # the sessions should also have the cortexlab lab field properly labeled before import
 if Lab.objects.using('cortexlab').filter(name='cortexlab').count() == 0:
-    lab_dict = {'pk': CORTEX_LAB_PK,
-                'name': 'cortexlab'}
+    lab_dict = {'pk': CORTEX_LAB_PK, 'name': 'cortexlab'}
     lab = Lab.objects.using('cortexlab').create(**lab_dict)
     lab.save()
 else: