Alameda and other East Bay residents are being offered an insurance policy designed to take the sting out of an unexpected plumbing expense.
If you are a homeowner and an East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) customer, you’re probably one of the 210,000 who received a notice recently highlighting an optional policy through Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA) to cover problems with the water line that extends from a house to the EBMUD water meter near the street. Here’s what you need to know about the service and the company behind it.
Homeowners are responsible for this section of the water line and could face repair bills of up to $3,000 if it needs to be replaced.
“This water line buried underground is subjected to changing soil conditions, ground shifting and corrosion, which may cause a sudden breakdown, leaving you responsible for the cost of repair or replacement,” the notice states. “Replacement of this line can be expensive—costing you thousands of dollars in unforeseen expenses—which may burden finances.”
The insurance policy pays up to $12,000 per service call, covering multiple service calls each year for covered repairs. It costs $2.99 a month or $35.88 a year. No public funds were used for the mailer.
There are exceptions to the coverage, however, including frozen pipes, lines that have failed previous inspections, any repairs done improperly, or natural disasters. Any questions you may have can be answered by calling the company at 1-844-257-8796 or visiting the SLWA coverage website.
District officials chose this company because it has a good reputation and is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau, according to EBMUD spokeswoman Tracie Morales.
The water district is receiving a $600,000 “branding fee’’ for informing the public about SLWA services. The funds will be used to finance EBMUD’s Customer Assistance Program, which helps low-income property owners afford water services, Morales said.
More than 12,000 EBMUD users have already signed up, Morales added.
David Boitano is a contributing writer for the Alameda Post. Contact him via [email protected]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/David-Boitano.
