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Neosho resident disputes $330 water charge; council orders pump‑out and pauses fees pending probe
Summary
A Neosho resident told the council her December water bill spiked to roughly 240,000 gallons; city staff said a December 3 main break accounted for about 24,300 gallons lost. Council directed public works to pump the customer's meter vault, hold interest and late fees, and report back at the next meeting.
A Neosho resident told the City Council on Monday that a December water billing anomaly charged her household roughly $330 — more than three times its normal bill — and she urged the city to investigate whether nearby construction damaged the service line.
Amanda Scribe, who signed up for visitors business, said her household typically uses under 50,000 gallons a month but her December bill reflected about 240,000 gallons. She said she photographed excavation work less than two feet from her meter and described sediment, pressure loss and damage to an in‑house filter system after crews worked near her street. "My water bill reflects over 240,000 gallons used in the month of December, while my household typically uses less than 50,000 gallons a month," she said during her five minutes.
City staff told the council they had documented a confirmed main break in the vicinity on Dec. 3 and that fiber crews have been operating in the area. A city public‑works official told the council, "The amount in question is actually 24,300 is what was lost," characterizing the loss tied to the main break, and staff said maps and engineering reports indicate the contractor’s crossing was several feet from the resident’s service. Staff also cautioned that water in a meter vault can be standing groundwater rather than a leak through the meter.
Faced with continuing technical questions about whether billed water passed through the meter vault, the council directed public works to pump the resident’s meter vault to search for evidence of leakage and asked staff to report findings at the next council meeting. The chair said the city would not add interest or late fees to the account while staff completes the investigation and explores any billing adjustments within staff authority.
The council and staff repeatedly requested documentation; Scribe said she had timestamped photos of crews and excavation. Staff said they had photographs from contractors showing water in the meter vault prior to work, and that further inspection is necessary to determine whether the usage should be adjusted. The council instructed staff to withhold additional fees pending that inspection and to follow up with the resident.
Next steps: public works will pump the meter vault and report findings to the council; any billing adjustment will depend on the results and on the city’s adjustment policies.
