Which metrics would you monitor to detect suspicious water usage by customers?

• A. Sudden spikes, unusually steady declines, and anomalies in daily or monthly consumption patterns.
• B. A monthly average usage alone
• C. Only nighttime usage
• D. Water pressure fluctuations

Answer: (A)

Tracking how water use changes over time helps you spot unusual activity. The most effective approach is to watch multiple signals that reveal deviations from a customer’s normal pattern: sudden spikes, unusually steady declines, and anomalies in daily or monthly consumption.

Sudden spikes stand out because they break the expected rhythm of usage. They can point to events like leaks, unauthorized taps, or meter issues that cause a rapid, unexpected jump in volume. An unusually steady decline also deserves attention, as it deviates from typical behavior and could indicate meter tampering, reading errors, or a shift in how the customer uses water.

Looking for anomalies in daily or monthly patterns goes a step further by catching irregular shapes in the data—outliers, shifts in when water is used, or changes that don’t fit seasonal trends. These pattern-level deviations often signal something that merits investigation beyond what a single number would show.

Relying on a single metric, like a monthly average, can miss these signals because averages smooth out spikes and declines and don’t reveal when they occur. Focusing only on nighttime usage excludes meaningful daytime activity, and pressure fluctuations reflect the system's hydraulics rather than consumer behavior.

By combining these signals, you get a clearer, more proactive view of potentially suspicious usage and can prioritize investigations where multiple indicators align.