How a winter storm caused thousands of Petersburg neighbors to receive an abnormally high water bill

PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) — Thousands of Petersburg neighbors who checked their water bill recently may have noticed a higher-than-normal charge.

Spring is when you can find Melinda Bedoya bringing her home garden back to life. During this time, you can find her planting seeds and watering them after the winter season.

Because she isn't tending to her garden during the cold months the same way she normally would during the spring and summer, Bedoya's water usage is normally lower in the winter. To her surprise, that was not the case this winter when she received her bill for her usage between January and February.

During that time, Petersburg Utilities told her she used 16,800 gallons of water -- enough to fill a backyard swimming pool -- something Bedoya doesn't have. Bedoya said her small family of three has never used that amount before.

"There was just no way that we would use that much water,” she said.

The bill she received said she owed $327.74. Bedoya told 8News her bill is normally about $80, and her previous usage shows that she has never used more than 6,000 gallons in a month.

(Paul Nevadomski/8News)

(Paul Nevadomski/8News)

(Paul Nevadomski/8News)

Her family looked for leaks and a possible pipe burst, but did not find anything. After checking social media, Bedoya realized that she was not the only person who received a high bill.

“This is an issue; it's not just us. And we tried to contact the utility company by phone, and then we weren't getting through to anyone," she said. After reaching out via email, she said they "still have no answers.”

In a Facebook post, Petersburg officials stated that "some Petersburg utility customers have recently received bills reflecting increased usage and charges. This winter, the severe ice storm disrupted the City’s regular meter reading schedule."

8News learned 11,660 meters were not read accurately. Because of this, "meter readings during the billing period for service dates December 23, 2025, to January 23, 2026, did not reflect actual usage," per the post.

Subsequently, service dates from Jan. 23 to Feb. 23 included two months of usage.

Officials want customers to know that late charges will not be applied and payment plans are available. Residents who feel their bill still seems too high are asked to reach out with documentation by calling 804-733-2349 or emailing utilitybilling@petersburg-va.org. Residents can also submit a service request online.