Water line protection ensures repair, not replacement

Oct. 04--A water-line break resulted in a "nightmare" for Thomas Stires, which caused him to question the need for a service protection plan.

Officials, however, insist that service protection plans protect residents from costly repairs.

Stires, 69, owns a house on Center Avenue in Plymouth. On Sept. 6, he said a tenant called to notify him that the basement was flooded because of a water line that broke in the basement.

Stires said the house was initially condemned, forcing him and his tenants to find alternate living arrangements temporarily.

Stires called 911, and emergency crews arrived on the scene. He said there was so much water in the basement that the electric and gas had to be shut off. The culprit was a small, 3-inch piece of pipe that broke.

"This burst without any force, anything else," Stires said. "It simply deteriorated and popped. That can happen in the middle of the sidewalk, anywhere."

Pennsylvania American Water responded to the scene later that afternoon to shut the water off. They came back the next day to repair the pipe. Stires said an official from the water company told him the old pipe would be replaced with new, copper pipe.

Officials from the company, however, say otherwise.

Denise Free, external affairs manager for Pennsylvania American Water, said American Water Resources, a subsidiary of Pennsylvania American Water, offers service line protection programs to more than 40 states and Washington D.C.

She said the program tends to focus more on repairs as opposed to replacement.

"Upon reviewing his line, our contractor ... reviewed the situation and assessed it, and determined it could repaired," said Free. "Replacement was not necessary."

Free said the company uses material approved by the plumbing code.

Protecting customers

The demand for those programs continues to grow, which has caused American Water Resources to expand where they offer the services. Free said the company began offering service contracts in 8 new states this year, and that enrollments continue to grow.

"To date, we now serve over 700,000 customers with approximately 1.4 million customer contracts," Free said. She added that customers tend to enroll in more than one program.

Enrollment in the water Line Protection Program in Pennsylvania costs $5.50 per month, and covers up to $5,000 in water line repairs and basic property restoration. All work is also done according to state and local codes.

According to Service Line Warranties of America's website, repairs to a broken, leaking or clogged water or sewer line can cost up to $3,500. Brad Carmichael, vice president of business development, said the company partners with cities to co-brand their program under the city's logo.

Carmichael said a water or sewer line break van have a "devastating effect" on a family's budget, and that having a protection plan can eliminate that risk.

Carmichael said his company has 215 participating cities in more than 30 states -- that includes Wilkes-Barre.

Free added that homeowners' insurance rarely covers water line repairs, and not being enrolled in a service contract could cost customers thousands in the event of a water line break.

She also said such events are not repairs that can typically be put aside.

"When you have a water line problem or a sewer line problem, most people don't realize it's their responsibility," Free said. "You have to get it fixed. It's not like you can let it go."

Tanya McLosky, acting consumer advocate for the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate, said service protection and insurance plans are not regulated by the state Public Utility Commission (PUC). As a result, McLoskey could not provide information in terms of how many residents in the state were enrolled in similar programs.

Stires said he has filed a complaint with the PUC on the situation and is waiting for a response.

McLosky said customers ultimately have to determine whether or not a protection plan would be beneficial.

"Customers will need to weigh a lot of factors concerning the age of their service lines and the cost of the program to determine what may be in their best interest," she said.

___

(c)2014 The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.)

Visit The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) at www.timesleader.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services