HomeServe Service Line Program Participation Increases

Enrollment tops 23,000, while usage already surpasses 1,000

BALTIMORE, MD (April 13, 2015)—In a little over half a year since the program was made available, more than 23,000 Baltimore City homeowners have signed up for the private water and sewer line protection services offered by HomeServe USA.

The City partnered with HomeServe in 2014 to roll out an optional program in the fall that covers the cost and facilitates repairs to exterior water or sewer lines on the homeowner’s side of the property line. Such repairs can easily cost several thousand dollars.

The Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) is responsible for water and sewer mains, as well as the service lines that extend to the property line. But that responsibility does not include the lines on private property, and most homeowners’ insurance plans do not cover repairs to these exterior, underground lines.

The importance of this optional coverage has already had for residents is evidenced in the numbers; over 1,000 repairs have been performed to date with a contractor being deployed to a Baltimore residence on average 5 times per day. During the extreme cold temperatures this February, the contractor deployment rate spiked to an average of 9 times per day – an 80% increase.

In addition to the core program, HomeServe has established a special fund to assist low income Baltimore residents, who meet certain income eligibility criteria, with exterior line repairs.

To handle the increase in workload and maintain responsiveness to our citizens,  HomeServe has already expanded its network of licensed and qualified Baltimore plumbing contractors and is looking to add more. Feedback from citizens who have received service under the protection plans has been positive.

“We have a multi-billion dollar, long-term plan to replace or repair the old water and sewer mains buried under Baltimore’s streets,” said DPW Director Rudolph S. Chow, P.E. “The lines that take water from the meter to houses, and the sewer lines that return used water, are subject to the same decay – if not worse. I’m pleased to see that a modest investment in these HomeServe plans is already paying off for so many Baltimore homeowners.”

The Connecticut-based HomeServe USA was selected by the City of Baltimore last spring following a nationwide competitive search for a company that could offer a private service line protection program to residents.

Homeowners are encouraged to check with their insurance companies and explore their options when deciding whether they should buy these optional private service line protection plans.

To learn more about HomeServe USA, visit www.BaltimoreServiceRepairs.com or call 1-855-807-6631.

Any resident with a broken water line or blocked sewer line should call 311 so DPW crews can investigate.

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Media Contacts

Jeffrey Raymond
410-545-6541
jeffrey.raymond@baltimorecity.gov

Kurt Kocher
410-545-6541
kurt.kocher@baltimorecity.gov

Jennifer Combs
410-545-6541
jennifer.combs@baltimorecity.gov

After hours, weekends, or holidays please call 410-396-3100 for the duty officer.