TOLEDO, Ohio — 11 investigates is following up on a topic that had more than 2.5 million views on the WTOL 11 YouTube page in June: water in gasoline.
A Toledo woman recently posted a video on her Facebook page of what she said was water, not gas, coming out of a pump at the Circle K gas station on Haverhill Drive.
11 investigates reached out to the Lucas County Auditor's Office Department of Weights and Measures about the complaint Thursday afternoon, and on Friday morning, inspectors were out to inspect the tanks at that Circle K location.
In the video, the woman said what was coming out of the pump did not look or smell like gas. But the county said all three of the station's tanks were inspected and all were found to have zero inches of water.
"Looking at the Circle K report, water volume shows zero gallons, water, zero inches," Michael Klear, the director of the Lucas County Auditor's Office said. "That's the unleaded, that's the premium, zero, zero, diesel, zero, zero."
However, Klear also confirmed that the Circle K gas station at Secor Road and Whiteford Center Road did have water in its gasoline last week.
"Circle K, they actually found it themselves. But someone did complain and called our office and we went out there and confirmed, yes, there was water in the tanks," Klear said. "They called a service company that basically pulled all that gas that was in that holding tank out and then replaced it with new."
11 Investigates emailed Circle K's corporate office on Friday but did not hear back at the time of this publication.
Damage from water in gasoline can cost a driver thousands of dollars in repairs.
11 Investigates first reported on the issue when Toledo resident Willie Coleman said he filled up with bad gasoline at a station at 905 South Ave. in February. Coleman said his car stopped working and his mechanic pulled water from his engine, resulting in $1,500 in damages.
11 Investigates then requested inspection reports from the Lucas Co. Auditor's Office which revealed two more complaints from drivers who had visited the same gas station.
Cherylynn Mickles said she successfully sued the gas station owner, Dontell Barton, for $3,500 for damage to her car in March, but has not yet received the money owed to her.
Coleman is also suing and has a court date on July 29.
According to the Toledo Municipal Court small claims website, "A judgment gives you a legal right to collect the amount awarded by the Court, but it does not force a debtor (the person owing money) to pay. Rather, the Court has confirmed that the debtor has a legal, enforceable obligation to pay. It is your job to collect that debt."
According to the court, one can, "summon the debtor into court to find out information needed to file a Non-Wage Garnishment, Wage Garnishment, Lien, Execution, or License Revocation."