Generally, my water bill has been running about $50 a month. This last month it was $70. That was a big jump. Rather than fighting city hall, actually the water department, I accepted the weak concept that it was because I left the water running to avoid frozen pipes.

I really didn’t believe it. It’s not the first time I was overcharged. Then today, while mowing, I noticed something. The water meter was covered with fall leaves, untouched for a long time

It reluctantly came to my mind, how was the meter read without disturbing the leaves? Were they put back after reading the meter?

I guess this means I will have to resort to taking photos of the meter regularly. Is this the kind of trust we should have with our utility companies. Maybe. Maybe we should all resort to such things. Then maybe we would not be overcharged.

As locked doors keep honest people honest, photos might keep utility companies honest.