Plans Protect Homeowners from Costly Repairs of Water, Sewer Line Breaks

BALTIMORE, MD (June 5, 2014)—Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Rudolph Chow and HomeServe USA Chief Commercial Officer Deb Dulsky, announced the details of water and sewer line service plans that will be available to Baltimore City property owners this Fall. 

The contract for these service plans, which was approved by the Baltimore City Board of Estimates on May 28, offers service coverage to Baltimore City residential property owners for their water and sewer service lines. Service plans provide optional coverage for homeowners, and purchase is not mandatory. The City is not paying anything to the vendor for the service.

“It is well known that Baltimore—along with many older American cities—faces the challenges of an aging public infrastructure,” said Mayor Rawlings-Blake. “As we accelerate the replacement of our water mains and sewer lines, we need to remind our residents that their private lines are also getting old and will need to be addressed—which can be costly for the homeowner. Our goal is to ensure that there are other low cost options available.”
Last winter, from December through March, DPW responded to 856 water main breaks. In addition, there were 1,266 public service lines that needed repair or replacement. When these service lines break on the private property owner’s side, the owner is responsible for the repairs. The national average cost for these repairs is estimated to be more than $2,200, and a sewer line replacement costs approximately $3,700.

The City’s two-year contract, with three one-year renewal options, is with HomeServe USA. The national company, which has been providing home emergency repair plans for more than 20 years, has nearly 2.3 million active policies and is in good standing with the Better Business Bureau.

HomeServe USA will offer water line service plans to Baltimore customers for $3.99 per month, and sewer line service plans for $5.49 per month. A discounted rate of $8.49 per month will be given to customers that choose both plans. Billing and registration will be handled directly by the company, and the cost of the service will not appear on Baltimore City water bills.

“Nobody is required to purchase a service contract,” said DPW Director Rudolph S. Chow. “This is similar to having a warranty on your appliances or a service contract on your boiler. You may not ever need it, but if you do, the savings to you will be huge.”

This program is entirely separate from the City’s upcoming water meter upgrades. The replacement of a meter is very unlikely to impact water service to a home. If a city contractor’s negligent actions are the cause of damage to a citizen’s pipes, the contractor will be held responsible for associated costs.

More information on the new program from HomeServe USA for Baltimore City residents will be available in the fall. Property owners are reminded to read their homeowner’s insurance policy or check with their insurance agent before purchasing an emergency service plan.