St. Charles City and County file a lawsuit against Ameren Missouri, accusing the utility of causing "millions of dollars of damage" to drinking water wells.
Mayor Dan Borgmeyer says Ameren is "indisputably " to blame for the chemical solvent found in the well field. "The reputation of the City of St. Charles and St. Charles County has been damaged. And we believe we have exhausted all options with the exception of legal action."
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Six of the city's seven drinking water wells have been shut down because of the contamination, forcing the city to buy water from the city of St. Louis.
Borgmeyer says it's safe to drink the water, and there are no plans for now to do any water rationing this summer.
Ameren Missouri maintains it has focused on the safety of drinking water supplies in St. Charles. In a written statement, the utility says it has tried to work with the city.
Ameren says multiple agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Missouri Department of Natural Resources have determined drinking water in St. Charles is safe.
The utility adds it is making progress to contain and remove contaminants at a substation near the well, and provides regular updates to regulators.
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