[katezbox]

Hi Becky,

I am a former water utility girl. First of all - the meters are generally quite reliable. That being said here are a couple of possible answers:

1. Water utilities have to change out meters every so often. Is it possible that the meter was changed during the period you first had the problem? Occasionally meters get swapped and the new meter read is not recorded.

2. Is it possible that they recorded an estimate? Usually this will mean that the next period is also "off" - but in reverse which doesn't seem to have happened to you.

3. Since your last bill was low, it seems unlikely that you have one of those nasty hidden leaks - but I would keep an eye on things.

4. It could be that you did have a water thief. You may want to put some sort of tape over any outside faucets to see if they have been tampered with.

k