American Water, the nation’s largest publicly traded water and wastewater utility company, announced today that its subsidiary, American Water Resources, LLC dba American Water Resources Insurance Services (AWRIS) in California, has been selected by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) after a competitive bidding process to offer optional water line and sewer line protection services to homeowners across the City and County of San Francisco.
This arrangement provides over 100,000 eligible San Francisco homeowners, served by the SFPUC, the opportunity to purchase optional protection plans at low prices for the water line that runs from a residential property to the connection with the water meter and sewer line that runs from the residential property to the sewer main.
“Our priority is to ensure that the SFPUC’s water and sewer systems are working properly to protect the public health and the environment,” said Harlan Kelley, Jr., General Manager of the SFPUC. “We support programs that help homeowners ensure their property’s water and sewer lines that connect their home to our system are in good condition.”
The competitive selection process was developed by the SFPUC to provide homeowners with low monthly program fees, timely repairs, high-quality service and no dollar limit on covered claims.
“San Francisco homeowners, from the Sunset to North Beach to Portola, can face water and sewer service line problems, including normal wear and tear, which are often not covered by standard homeowner’s insurance,” said Eric Palm, President, American Water Resources. “These problems can lead to significant, unplanned costs, which is why we are proud to be working with the SFPUC to provide affordable service line protection programs to homeowners that offer peace of mind and come with top-of-the-line customer service.”
Beginning today, together, the SFPUC and AWRIS will educate San Franciscans on the responsibilities homeowners have for the water and sewer lines that connect their properties to the water and sewer infrastructure. Program enrollees will receive 24-hour support via a toll-free hotline, a three-year warranty on all covered repairs and no service fees. The company already services nearly two million customer contracts across the country.
“San Francisco is an economic and cultural hub, and we are excited by this opportunity to not only expand our footprint in California, but work in coordination with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission in protecting city homeowners from the headache of service line repairs,” said American Water President and CEO Susan Story.
