On May 24th, King County Water District 20 received a call from a puzzled customer whose water had been cut off.

"We went out and investigated, and the meter was gone," said Dick Swaab, general manager of the Burien-area district. Since that first incident, Swaab noted, five or six additional water meters have been stolen from residential and commercial customers in the district, the last one on July 6th.

Typically, this water meter removal does not damage the meter case or the surrounding property, so property owners are not aware of a problem until they discover their water supply has been cut off.

"It's almost like it's a professional," Swaab said of the perpetrator(s). He suspects that the poor economy has made the possibility of selling the meters for scrap more attractive.

Because of their bronze content, the meters command about a dollar each.

As far as Swaab knows, none of the neighboring water districts have experienced similar thefts. He encouraged residents who see anyone suspicious near their water meters to call the King County Sheriff's Office or Water District 20.

For more information, visit www.kcwd20.com