St. Louis County woman feuding with Missouri American over water bill

By Mike Owens

KSDK -- Jan Barton says she doesn't use much water, but a recent bill from Missouri American indicates she went through plenty of it this summer, leaving her with water bill more than $300 higher than normal.

Barton says when she complained about the water bill, she was told to look for a leak. So she looked, with a vengeance. She put Kool-Aid in the toilets to see if the seals were leaking, she checked the washing machine, she checked the downstairs drains, she checked her irrigation system, and she even hired a plumber to double-check her own work. She paid $100 for the plumber's help.

She did not find a leak and eventually the water company put in a new meter. After that, the bill went down back to normal.

But the water company insists she still pay the bill, even though there's no leak and she says no way she used that much water. Barton thinks someone transposed a number on her bill, or the meter was wrong.

Missouri American thinks she's got a leak and plan to meet with her Monday to look for more leaks.