A St. Petersburg couple is demanding answers after receiving an unexpectedly high water bill, even though they were displaced during the recent hurricanes.

Melanie Scheiderman said she and her husband, Richard, were away from their rental home for more than two weeks during Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Yet, they were hit with a $1,147 water bill—more than eight times their typical $150 bill.

“We thought it had to be a typo, an error, or that someone read the meter wrong,” Melanie said.

The Scheidermans reached out to the city for answers but said they received no resolution. Melanie explained, “It’s impossible. Even when we filled our above-ground pool from scratch, the bill was only about $500.”

When their landlord inspected the property, he discovered a slow leak in the bathroom. He confirmed the leak after turning the water on and off at the meter and called a leak detection specialist. Melanie believes the issue stemmed from the city’s actions during the hurricanes.

“The city shut off the water temporarily during the storms, and when they turned it back on, the high pressure caused the leak,” she explained. “It’s something they should’ve caught if they were properly reading the meters.”

In response, the City of St. Petersburg told WFLA that the drinking water system was down for less than 12 hours between October 9-10, 2024, and pressure was restored slowly to avoid damaging plumbing. They insisted the system’s repressurization was unlikely to have caused the leak.

“It’s not possible for the loss of system pressure to have caused the customer’s plumbing to spring a leak,” the city said. They encouraged the couple to contact Utility Accounts Customer Service to explore their options, including the leak adjustment process.

A city spokesperson added, “We are following all normal procedures to assist customers with higher-than-expected utility bills, regardless of when it occurred. In this case, the meter reading on November 19 suggests the issue likely lies with the customer’s private plumbing.”

Despite the city’s statement, Melanie remains frustrated. “This is an outrageous amount to place on a homeowner. The city should’ve investigated this issue much earlier,” she said.

The Scheidermans hope the situation will prompt the city to provide more support for residents dealing with unexpected utility issues after severe weather events.

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(Image credit: Yahoo News)