The Brief
A St. Petersburg resident received a $4,000 water bill.
It comes amid ongoing water billing issues for the City of St. Pete.
The city said a new process to adjust bills worked as it should.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – St. Petersburg resident Erika Shrauger was hit with a staggering $4,000 water bill in September, despite being out of town for work for two months.
The issue, which remained unresolved until she contacted FOX 13, has highlighted potential systemic issues within the city’s billing department.
READ:St. Pete leaders want management review of billing department amid high water bill issues
The backstory
Shrauger, who has been dealing with the fallout since September, described the moment she opened the bill as panic-inducing.
“I about had a heart attack, literally just panic. ‘How could this be?’ ‘How could I possibly pay this?’” she recounted.
Upon returning home, Shrauger discovered the hefty bill waiting for her. Although the city replaced her water meter, she was left to negotiate the bill on her own, accruing hundreds of dollars in late fees over the months.
MORE: St. Pete residents still getting giant water bills – with no relief: ‘Just no sympathy’
Her attempts to resolve the issue included reaching out to city council members and the media.
Dig deeper
Since FOX 13 got involved, Shrauger received a partial bill adjustment of more than $3,600, though she still faces a balance higher than her usual $100 bill.
“To experience this and to try and negotiate this has been very stressful. It has been financially stressful; it’s been sort of taking up mental space for a long time,” Shrauger shared.
The city responded by stating that the process worked as intended, explaining that it takes time to remove the old meter, install the new one and wait for at least one billing cycle to confirm consumption data returns to the customer’s prior average.
However, Shrauger feels the burden unfairly falls on homeowners.
“Clearly there is some sort of systemic issue. It would be nice if they would give homeowners the benefit of the doubt instead of holding them financially hostage,” she said.
What’s next
Looking ahead, the city plans to install a new software system next year, which they hope will address some of the billing issues customers have experienced. Additionally, the city council is planning a review of its billing department.
The Source
The information in this story was gathered through an interview with homeowner Erika Shrauger and includes a response from the City of St. Petersburg.