The envelope comes in the same week every month, and this time the number is higher. Nobody in the house is running a sprinkler, and your father swears the water is off when he leaves the room. The bill does not tell you why. It only tells you the total. The total is usually built from a few parts, and each one can move on its own.
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The reading behind the bill
Many utilities read the meter by hand or by radio. When the reader cannot get to the meter, the bill is often based on an estimate, and the next real reading then catches up on the difference. An estimated bill followed by an actual reading can look like a sudden jump when it is really two months of use arriving at once. Check the bill for the word estimated or a similar label. If it is there, ask the utility when the next actual read is scheduled and whether the meter is easy to reach.
Read the meter yourself on the day the bill is printed and again about a month later. Write the numbers down. Two readings tell you how much water the house used in that stretch, and that is the number the utility is working from.
The toilet that runs quietly
The most common hidden cause is a toilet that refills without anyone hearing it. A worn flapper lets water slip from the tank into the bowl, and the refill cycle runs all day. Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank, wait about fifteen minutes without flushing, and look in the bowl. If color appears, the flapper or the fill valve needs attention. A repair part is usually a small job, but if you are unsure, ask a plumber to look at it rather than guessing.
Hoses, irrigation, and the laundry
A garden hose left running, a sprinkler timer that has been reset, or a hose bib dripping into the bed can add water that nobody sees. Check every outdoor spigot and the timer before you assume the problem is inside. Laundry is the other steady driver. A house that used to run two loads a day for two people may now run fewer, but a single household running the washer on full cycles for small loads can still push the total up. Running full loads and choosing the right cycle lowers the water used per load.
The fixed parts and the variable parts
Most water bills have a fixed charge that appears whether you use any water or not, and a usage charge that moves with the meter. Some areas also add a sewer or wastewater charge that is tied to the water you use. When the total jumps, look for which line moved. If only the usage line moved, the cause is inside the house or the meter reading. If the fixed charges changed, ask the utility what changed in the rate schedule and when it took effect.
Who is on the account
Check that the name on the account is current and that the service address is correct. If your mother's name is still on the account and nobody has updated the billing contact, notices can go to the wrong place and get missed. A missed notice about a leak or an estimated read is the kind of thing that turns a small bill into a large one, so make sure the right person gets the mail.
What to do tonight
Find the most recent bill and the one before it. Write down the usage figure from each, check whether either one says estimated, and read the meter once tonight without using any water for an hour beforehand. Put the readings and the bill on the counter. In the morning, call the utility, ask for the date of the next actual read, and ask whether a leak adjustment is available if you find a running toilet.