diff --git a/scripts/build_hydro_profile.py b/scripts/build_hydro_profile.py
index ed3bbd1d..6a0315c7 100644
--- a/scripts/build_hydro_profile.py
+++ b/scripts/build_hydro_profile.py
@@ -140,9 +140,9 @@ def approximate_missing_eia_stats(eia_stats, runoff_fn, countries):
 
     # fix outliers; exceptional floods in 1977-1979 in ES & PT
     if "ES" in runoff:
-        runoff.loc[1978, ["ES"]] = runoff.loc[1979, ["ES"]]
+        runoff.loc[1978, "ES"] = runoff.loc[1979, "ES"]
     if "PT" in runoff:
-        runoff.loc[1978, ["PT"]] = runoff.loc[1979, ["PT"]]
+        runoff.loc[1978, "PT"] = runoff.loc[1979, "PT"]
 
     runoff_eia = runoff.loc[eia_stats.index]