The hands of St. Petersburg officials will no longer be tied when utility customers complain over high water bills. The spike happened after back-to-back hurricanes last year. The ordinance adopted Thursday by the city council allows for more flexibility when customers get abnormally large bills that can't be explained. But an explanation is exactly what some homeowners are still demanding. City leaders say this will help the thousands of utility customers who got mysteriously high water bills beginning last fall. “Under our current ordinance, there's really no relief that we can provide,” city administrator Rob Gerdes said. “That's why this is so important to add this abnormal event.” The ordinance language says: Customers who experience a substantial increase in the volume of water that has flowed through the water meter to the customer in which the usage is unaccounted for, unexpected, or due to unusual or extenuating circumstances, including but not limited to plumbing system damage due to accidents, vandalism, water theft, or other occurrences generally beyond a customer’s control may apply for an adjustment. Previously an adjustment was only eligible for customers who had a high bill, found a leak, and then had it repaired. Most of the high water bills recently are for homes that were flooded during the hurricanes with many still currently unoccupied. While the new ordinance addresses the bills, questions linger over why the bills got so high in the first place. Attorney Matt Weidner didn't hold back during the meeting and is suing the city over his $1,000 bill. He's also the lawyer for a woman who got a nearly $10,000 bill for a vacant home.