Homeowners may sign up for water and sewer line protection

city-hallThe city is reminding homeowners they have another opportunity to sign up for a voluntary program to pay for repairs to their water and sewer lines.

The city started the program last year to give homeowners an inexpensive way to cover any repairs to their buried outside water or sewer lines from their homes’ foundations to their lines’ connections to water and sewer mains, it says in a press release. More than 10,000 families in the city have already enrolled.

“Homeowners are burdened with many expenses, and providing peace of mind in the event of a service line failure is important since repairs could cost thousands of dollars,” said City Manager Troy Schulte.

“Many of us homeowners believe our pipes will last forever, but that’s simply not the case,” said City Councilman John Sharp. “Many factors beyond the life expectancy of the pipe can contribute to a sewer or water line clog or failure including tree root intrusion, ground shifting and weather – all conditions that are covered through this program.”

“Plus, many older homes in Kansas City have galvanized water lines instead of copper lines, and they don’t hold up nearly as well. Most of these have already exceeded their life expectancy,” Sharp added.

There is no cost to taxpayers for this voluntary program and the city actually receives a royalty for participating, which is used to help needy residents prevent water shutoffs and to support community gardens and urban agriculture through the Water Services Department’s KC Grow water access program.

The program is offered through the National League of Cities and is administered by Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA).

Here’s more about the program from a city press release:

  • It offers protection against normal wear and tear, which is not covered under most traditional homeowner’s policies. If lines break, leak or clog, the program will cover the cost to repair the line using local, licensed contractors who are familiar with local codes and can ensure a timely response. Persons who need a repair simply call the program’s 24-hour hotline and a local plumbing professional will be dispatched within 24 hours to perform the repair.
  • The program provides up to $4,000 in coverage with an additional $4,000 allowance for public street or sidewalk cutting if needed. Additionally, the program has no annual or lifetime limits, service fees or deductibles, and the normal 30-day waiting period for coverage is being waived, so coverage will be effective upon enrollment.

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