95-year-old St. Pete resident fighting $500 ‘erroneous’ water bill

More customers in St. Petersburg said they’ve been hit with an unusually high water bill.

Olga showing the jugs she fills with rainwater to water her plants.

Olga shows the jugs she fills with rainwater to water her plants.

Dozens have complained about getting a bill five to twenty times higher than their usual bill following the hurricanes.

READ: St. Pete homeowners shocked by high water bills following Hurricanes Helene, Milton

One 95-year-old woman's story

The backstory:

One 95-year-old woman says her bill shot up right before the hurricane.

"I'm 95 years old. I've been in Florida 80 years. And to be treated like this is not what Saint Petersburg is all about," said Olga.

Olga fills jugs with rainwater at her St. Pete's home, which she uses to water her plants, so she doesn’t use city water.

As a child of immigrants during the Great Depression, she’s mindful of every drop she uses and every penny, too.

Which is why a $500 water bill in September took her breath away.

"I’m enjoying my life, and I get hit with this. It's this bill that came out of nowhere," said Olga.

What bill hikes mean to Olga

The widow lives alone, on a fixed income, and is tight on her taps. She cooks once a week and washes clothes once every two weeks.

St. Pete’s response

The other side:

Usually, her bill is around $100 a month.

The city told her she must have a leak.

Olga's response to the city

Two plumbers and a general contractor inspected the property.

"They said there's no leak in the house. So where's the water? Where's the water I use?" she asked.

They wrote letters to the city on her behalf.

The letter contractors wrote for Olga.

The letter contractors wrote on behalf of Olga.

Dig deeper:

Her water bill claims she would have used 20,000 gallons above her normal usage. The general contractor noted there was nothing that could account for the enormous amount of water and called it an ‘erroneous reading.’

Olgas’ daughter filed a petition with the utility billing review committee to dispute the charges, and despite the two letters and inspection, they were unsuccessful in getting the bills lowered.

"They won't move on it," Olgas’ daughter said.

Bringing water bills back down

Big picture view:

The city told Olga that if a leak were repaired, she would qualify for an adjustment.

The city's response to the contractors letter.

The city's response to the contractors' letter.

But there is no leak to fix.

Olga refuses to pay for water she says she didn’t use and a bill she can’t afford.

"If they turn it off, I told my neighbors I’m bringing over a pail," Olga said.

Without any repairs, her bills returned to normal.

Residents feeling the increased bills

Why you should care:

Other homeowners have shared similar stories with FOX 13.

The city suggests increased fees in October or estimated bills following the hurricane may have impacted bills.

Neither of which applies to Olga’s situation.

"It’s just not right. It's not right. Come on, guys. Do something. If a lot of people are experiencing the same thing, there's something wrong somewhere," Olga said.

If you are having an issue with your water bill, you can petition the city utility billing review committee.

The Source: FOX 13’s Genevieve Curtis collected the information for this story.

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