PHILADELPHIA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–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 4th 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.
Philadelphia homeowner Geraldine Robinson said the AWR-PEA
partnership helped her parents save thousands of dollars for line
repairs, and encouraged all Philadelphia homeowners to take this
proactive step toward financial security.
“Both my parents and I are customers of American Water Resources, and as
caretaker to my parents I recently helped them file a claim at their
home in North Philadelphia when they needed their water line repaired.
This repair would have cost thousands of dollars and been a huge burden
on our family,” Robinson said. “American Water Resources lifted this
burden by doing what they said they would do: fixing the water line and
restoring the street and sidewalk at no additional cost. The city needs
more programs like this to keep homeownership affordable for all.”
“In Philadelphia, homeowners are responsible for maintaining their water
service lines and sewer laterals, which can be costly. The Water
Department offers a HELP loan program to customers with exterior home
plumbing issues, but our customers have expressed the desire for a
proactive protection program that is affordable and that provides peace
of mind when a problem occurs,” Acting Water Commissioner Sarah
Stevenson said. “We are happy to partner with the Philadelphia
Energy Authority and American Water Resources on this protection program
because it helps to ease the burden on homeowners and allows them to
maintain and keep their home plumbing systems in good repair.”
“The response from Philadelphia homeowners has been remarkable. This
program is clearly needed in Philadelphia, where everyone knows someone
who has had to pay thousands of dollars to repair a failed water or
sewer line,” PEA Executive Director Emily Schapira said. “We
are proud to offer this low-cost option for homeowners and contribute to
energy savings for PWD at the same time.”
“We are thrilled to be able to provide this important service – and the
peace of mind that comes with avoiding unexpected service line repairs –
to homeowners across Philadelphia,” American Water Resources
President Eric Palm added. “In the first six months of our
partnership, customers have experienced the value in a service line
protection program that goes beyond the limits of standard homeowners’
insurance policies. We will continue to expand our relationships in the
community and educate homeowners on how they can protect against
expensive home repair costs in the event an issue arises.”
About Philadelphia Energy Authority
PEA is an independent municipal authority focused on issues of energy
affordability and sustainability for Philadelphia. In early 2016, in
partnership with City Council President Darrell Clarke, PEA launched the
Philadelphia Energy Campaign, a $1 billion, 10-year investment in energy
efficiency and clean energy projects, to help create 10,000 jobs. For
more information, visit philaenergy.org.
About American Water Resources
American Water Resources, a market-based subsidiary of American Water,
offers service line protection programs to homeowners in 43
states and Washington, D.C., and currently services nearly 2 million
contracts. The company has been providing protection programs for more
than 17 years. More than nine out of 10 customers are satisfied and the
company holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. American
Water Resources also provides its Protection Programs to homeowners
through municipal partnerships with the New York City Department of
Environmental Protection, Orlando Utilities Commission, Nashville Metro
Water Services and others. More information about American Water
Resources protection programs is available online at www.AWRUSA.com.
Contacts
Lauren Slepian
Manager, Corporate Communications
American Water
856-325-9482
[email protected]
