Water Pipe Insurance Policies not Affiliated with the City of West Linn

The City of West Linn wants to remind our customers offers for water service line insurance are not associated with the City water system, nor does the City have any connection with any such insurance carrier.

On occasion, private companies send letters to residents offering a repair plan for the water service line extending from the resident’s house to the water distribution pipeline, which usually runs in the street in front of the house.

These letters state that the line extending from the house to the water meter is the homeowner’s responsibility. This means that if the home service line experiences a crack or break, the resident is responsible for all associated costs. While this is in fact true, some sales literature from such insurance company has confused some residents, making them feel that they are required to have an insurance policy that is separate from their homeowner’s policy to cover any water utility line damage.

Here are the facts that you need to know:

• There are no laws that require you to insure the house water service line.
• It is completely up to you to decide whether you want or need this type of coverage, and through which company you want to buy such a policy.
• If you receive a phone call from a sales person employed by a private company and they introduce themselves as having a relationship with the “water department,” this is false information. The City of West Linn is does not contract/affiliate with any insurance providers.

Before signing an annual insurance plan that protects your water service line, the City urges caution. Some plans may be legitimate offers, but make sure to examine the fine print and talk to your home insurance agent if you have any questions.

If you are interested in water service line insurance, the City encourages you to consider the following information:

• Review your homeowner's policy and determine if water line coverage is already provided. If you do have water line coverage, make sure to contact your insurance company and ask how this coverage would work in conjunction with an annual insurance plan.
• Determine if you have prior issues with your water line pipes or if there have been any issues in your neighborhood. This will help you in deciding the necessity of purchasing an annual insurance plan.
• Compare several private insurance policies to make sure you find the policy the best suits your needs.
• Read the fine print in the insurance plan carefully. Check the company standing with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Business Review and see their rating and any past government actions or advertising concerns BBB has found.