HomeServe USA Brings Water and Sewer Insurance to Evansville

There's a type of insurance available to people in Evansville that some may not know about, but could potentially save people money.

 

Some of Evansville’s water and sewer lines are very, very old. In the last year and a half, the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility has had more than 400 main breaks. The city is investing millions of dollars to replace many of those pipes, but another potential issue is closer to home.

 

"Most people heard me talk about how old our pipes are, our water main pipes, well the same is true with a lot of older homes have older pipes in there, there's a chance that they could break as well,” EWSU Director Allen Mounts said.

 

"And in fact, within the city of Evansville, about two thirds, about 65 percent of the homes are over 50 years old, and so those pipes that are connecting the home to the Evansville system, you know, they're on borrowed time,” said Myles Meehan, Senior Vice President of Public Relations for HomeServe USA

 

In July, EWSU launched a partnership with HomeServe USA. The company provides insurance plans for the sewer and water lines in and under Evansville homes.

 

"We still see a lot of property owners who don't really believe or understand that if the water line's on your property, it's your property, and you're responsible for that,” Mounts said. “And it cost them hundreds or thousands of dollars. It becomes very real then."

 

Since HomeServe launched in Evansville, about 800 people have signed up. Plans can cost between six and 13 dollars a month, but the company says they can save you a lot more.

 

"On a national average, it's about $2,500 to replace a water line. So even if the water line didn't break for a couple of decades, the homeowner would still be ahead of the game if they were to purchase one of these plans,” Meehan said.

 

You may have noticed a letter in the mail about the service, which is optional. If you do sign up, you'll have access to the 24-hour hotline to have a contractor sent out for repairs.

 

But before signing up, the city recommends checking your current insurance, to see if water and sewer lines are covered.

 

Also as part of the partnership, HomeServe has provided the EWSU with $50,000. The city has used that money to help pay low-income residents water bills as part of the Community Action Program.