Thousands of Pittsburghers might want to sit down before opening their next water bill.

The Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority said about 13,000 customers were sent erroneous bills for thousands of dollars because of a billing error.

Authority spokeswoman Melissa Rubin said a billing technician overseas did not adjust computer settings for U.S. currency, resulting in misplaced decimals in bills dated Jan. 6.

As a result, a bill that would normally be $45 was sent out as $4,500. Rubin said automatic online bill-payers aren't affected.

Authority officials said new bills will be mailed Wednesday.

The city of Pittsburgh and its police union reached a tentative agreement on a five-year contract, but the deal must still be approved by the Act 47 committee that oversees the city's finances.Union officials aren't releasing terms of the deal because the Act 47 approval is still needed. But the union said the contract is within the limits of the city's Act 47 recovery plan passed by council in June.That legislation allows a $2,000 bonus but no raises this year and raises of 2 percent to 3 percent in the next four years.Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's office has not commented on the deal. If it is rejected by the Act 47 team, an arbitrator will weigh the deal next month.