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Kansas City hair salon disputes $350 water bill

Posted at 4:54 PM, May 13, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-13 19:41:04-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City, Missouri, salon owner says she's being charged for water her business did not use.

Rhonda Cavner, owner of Roca Salon and Spa, said she got a $350 water bill for April when her business was closed down.

"I thought how can we have a water bill when we weren't open," Cavner said.

Cavner said her business uses water for shampooing, washing towels and toilet usage. She doesn't understand how 15,000 gallons of water was used when she was closed, which is what the bill from KC Water shows.

"It's just a lot of money for something you feel like you didn't even get to use," Cavner said.

According to the bill, she owes $350, which is about half of her regular monthly bill. It shows her store used only 1,300 gallons less than last April, but she said that's not possible.

41 Action News reached out to the Kansas City Water Department. A spokesperson said they cannot comment on individual accounts. The department sent someone out to the store Wednesday to check on the meter.

Cavner said KC Water told her the store's meter was showing continuous usage, but Cavner said she didn't feel KC Water helped her figure where the water is coming from.

She said it now feels as if it's on her shoulders to figure out where the water is coming from, another added expense she wasn't prepared for.

"You know we're just watching our money going out right now," Cavner said.