Advice on how to find a water leak?

[wclavey]

My brother had a similar situation, checked all the usual culprits, adjusted for the different rates in different seasons... finally called the water company. With all the ground drying and shifting, a crack in a joint in the line between the meter and the house (on his side of the meter) had developed and they needed to dig it up and do the repair. the first think the company did to assess the possible location of the leak (in case it was inside the house in the plumbing in the slab) was turn off the inside master water shut-off and then they observed that water was still running at the meter - - so it was not anywhere in the house.

[Grummpy1]

I worked for a rural water company back when I was in high school and college. Even back then we estimated water usage by using the amount the customer used in the past. If usuage was high or low the company made up the over or under charge in the next two bills, usually it was pretty close. Only time they estimated was when the work load made it hard to get to every meter to record usuage.
Yes the meters wear out over time. even though the water looks clean there is particles in the water that will wear the impellers down causing them not to read accuratly, it would be to your advantage and they don't want that. If you have a leak do like others hace said, take a reading and go back later and take another reading to see how much it has changed. Most of the time you can also hear water passing through the meter if you listen very closely.