If you have received a mailing from your municipal water authority or a third party offering you the opportunity to purchase water line insurance, you may be wondering if it is legitimate. The answer is that except in certain limited circumstances, water line insurance is a waste of money.
Many homeowners are surprised to find out that they are responsible for the water line that runs between the water meter and their home. Your local water authority will take care of any repairs necessary to the water main on their side of the meter, but if the water service line on your side of the meter springs a leak, you will need to hire a plumber to handle the water line repairs.
Fortunately, except for galvanized steel and polybutylene water lines that were put into service between 20 and 50 years ago, water service lines usually last for years without a problem. When they do leak, in most cases a good plumber can repair the leak relatively inexpensively unless you have an old galvanized steel or polybutylene water line. However, in a few cases the entire water line will need to be replaced and this can be an expensive job.
Even if you are one of the few homeowners who has to replace their water line, buying insurance through a private company may not be much help. First, there are many companies out there that offer bogus insurance and are little more than scams. Even those that are legitimate seem to get a lot of complaints. Before you sign up for one of these policies, be sure to check the company out thoroughly. Check with the Better Business Bureau or see if you can find any reviews or information about the company on the internet.
Sometimes your local water authority may offer a water line repair program where you can opt in and pay a nominal monthly fee such as $1 per month. If your water service line breaks or starts leaking, they will handle the repairs. These programs can be worthwhile and offer peace of mind at a very low cost.
