Designed to cover beyond what typical homeowner policies offer
By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
The city of Whitewater is linking arms with a private insurance company on a voluntary campaign designed to ensure residential property owners have adequate coverage on sewer lateral lines leading into their homes.
On the heels of a recent decision, city officials on May 17 delved further into an agreement with Utility Service Partners, the corporate entity operating under the name Service Line Warranties of America.
Early this month, the Common Council backed a plan to have the city go on record and endorse Service Line’s warranty insurance program as an option that could help residential property owners.
Sewer laterals are generally an out-of-sight, out-of-mind piece of infrastructure — that is, until it malfunctions. Pointing to the benefits of the agreement, city officials note the cost of repairing a broken or leaking sewer line can cost upward of $3,500.
Assistant City Manager Chris McDonell said there are many benefits to engaging in the public-private partnership, including providing heightened awareness of a service homeowners might not know exists.
“Many property owners are unaware of their responsibility to cover the cost of repairs to their sewer laterals,” McDonell said. “Many homeowner insurance plans also omit service line coverage.”
An insurance policy such as the one Service Line offers is designed to provide coverage beyond what a typical homeowner policy offers.
“This program would cover the insurance gap between the publicly owned infrastructure under the street and the homeowner coverage of the home itself,” McDonell added.
Since the council gave its stamp of approval May 5, Service Line representatives have been sending mailers to all eligible property owners. While not an official city program, the strong backing is evidenced by the mailing, which is on city letterhead and includes a letter from City Manager Cameron Clapper.
Residents should have received the first mailing with details of the voluntary program. A second, reminder mailing is slated to go out to all residential property owners May 31.
Clapper in his letter to residents notes Service Line’s warranty program covers up to $4,000 per incident, and insurance holders do not have to pay any deductibles.
He further states the Service Line program “is the only …protection program for homeowners endorsed by Whitewater and by the National League of Cities.”
During the current campaign, which will run into early summer, Service Line is offering participants the option of paying $7.25 monthly or an annual upfront fee of $82.
The city’s agreement with Service Line covers a three-year term, and future overtures will be extended to residential property owners not participating in the program in 2017 and 2018.
Service Line’s warranty program applies only to residential properties in Whitewater. Commercial, industrial and institutional properties are not able to sign up at the rates the company is offering.
For more information on Service Line’s offer, visit www.slwofa.com or call (866) 425-6222.
