Water and Sewer Line Protection Program Saves Philadelphia Homeowners $1 Million in First Six Months

Philadelphia officials on Wednesday joined American Water Resources (AWR) representatives to announce that a new water and sewer line protection partnership has already saved Philadelphia homeowners more than $1 million in the first six months of enrollment.

The program, a partnership between AWR and the Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA), an independent creation of City Council, has enrolled more than 57,000 homeowners across the city, allowing them to purchase optional low-cost protection plans for the service lines that extend from city water and sewer mains to the home. The maintenance and repairs of these service lines are the responsibility of the homeowner and are not covered by most homeowners’ insurance.

Standing alongside homeowners, city officials encouraged Philadelphia residents to take the proactive step of protecting their water and sewer lines to stave off unexpected and unaffordable repair costs.

“I am a huge proponent of the American Water Resources water and sewer line protection program. Thousands of 4^th District homeowners have taken advantage of the program and will be covered if the unexpected occurs to the lines that serve their home,” Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr., said. “I am thankful to the Philadelphia Energy Authority for coordinating the program. It has been a great success.”

“As many people are aware, Philadelphia is the poorest large city in the nation. With 26 percent of our population living in poverty, the unfortunate reality is that most residents do not have an emergency reserve for basic, fundamental life expenses like mortgage and utility payments – let alone a fund for unexpected costly home repairs,” Councilmember Derek Green (At-Large) said. “The fact that this program, which creates a safety net for homeowners in the event of a broken sewer or water line, now exists is tremendous. I applaud American Water Resources and the Philadelphia Energy Authority on this partnership, for the early success of this program and for their continued efforts to educate our citizens about the benefits.”

AWR’s programs and partnership with the PEA are facilitated in cooperation with the Philadelphia Water, Streets, and Licenses and Inspections (L+I) departments. The water and sewer line programs are available at the low monthly price of $7.98 a month with unlimited protection for covered repairs for both programs. Enrollment in the program comes with 24-hour support, a one-year warranty on covered repairs, and all work performed by an independent local insured contractor provided by AWR.