On Thursday, the St. Pete City Council will tackle the pressing issue of exorbitant water bills plaguing residents.

Outraged locals, claiming overcharges in the hundreds, are demanding refunds and action over extremely high utility bills.

The council plans to schedule a public hearing for March 27 during the meeting. Many St. Pete residents still reel at bills topping $1,000.

“Step up, serve your people, and aid those hit hard by the storms,” pleaded Holly Walker.

City officials are weighing their options. In late February, council members huddled with staff to explore solutions.

“Our stance—no leak, no fix, no refund—doesn’t sit right with me,” admitted City Administrator Rob Gerdes.

That session saw talks of resolutions and ordinance tweaks to ease the burden of mounting water bills.

“Today’s resolutions will let us broaden the relief we can offer,” said Council Chairman Copley Gerdes.

Thursday’s agenda includes recalculating bills, refunding those slammed by costly accidental leaks, and reimbursing residents for spikes during “abnormal events” like hurricanes or states of emergency.

Yet, despite efforts to secure refunds, some residents told WFLA the city isn’t digging deep enough into the core issue.

“I see no real push to uncover why these bills are so steep,” said Matthew Weidner, a St. Petersburg resident and attorney. “They’re looking to forgive or ease the pain, but I don’t see tough questions about why water bills are sky-high in the first place.”

Follow the St. Pete-Clearwater Sun on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Google, & X

(Image credit: Spectrum News/Josh Rojas)

PIE-Sun.com: local St. Pete-Clearwater news