DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia Department of Agriculture is forcing a DeKalb County gas station to temporarily stop selling gas after inspectors discovered water mixed with fuel.
The department says it received complaints from customers about the Texaco on Glenwood Avenue off of I-20.
"We proceeded to do an inspection and we determined that the regular and the mid-grade gas was contaminated with water," said Richard Lewis, who is the division director for fuel and measures at the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
"If the consumer purchases gas there and they are having a problem, they should contact our office," Lewis said.
"It was no time before it completely stopped accelerating," said Bonnie Buol Ruszcsyk.
Ruszcsyk says her husband purchased gas at the Texaco on Sunday. Shortly afterward, she said, the car stopped working, and she had to get it towed.
"The bill was just under $1,200," she said. "Part of me wants to know how that happened and how to keep that from happening again."
Test results indicate that the gas had "lots of water" and was illegal for sale, because the gas did not meet state specifications on tests performed.
The manager at the Texaco said that he was not sure how the contamination happened, and they are working to fix the problem. The state says it could be something as simple as a leak.
Ruszcsyk says the company that transported the gas agreed to pay for the damage.
"The management at the station has been very cooperative getting this problem corrected," said Lewis.
Before the station can reopen its gas pumps, the problem must be corrected and the pumps must undergo a re-inspection.
WSBTV
