Letter to the Editor

Response

TO THE EDITOR:

As a Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA) representative, I hope to clarify some inaccuracies in the March 4 opinion piece, “Water Warranty?: Both sides should rethink selling use of city names, seals to private businesses.”

Unfortunately, far too many homeowners are unaware that the pipes that run between their homes and the city streets are their responsibility to maintain and repair. Because residents often wrongly assume it is the city that pays for those repairs, our municipal partners believe that proactively offering optional SLWA plans is a smart thing to do for residents. Across the border in Texarkana, Ark., an increasing number of residents are signing up and learning firsthand the benefit of having a repair plan when inevitable emergencies occur.

We encourage residents of Texarkana and elsewhere to research their existing coverage before purchasing any additional coverage, however, it is completely incorrect that “external waters are often covered by existing homeowners insurance.” In fact, it’s quite the opposite. According to a survey by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, standard homeowners insurance policies do not cover repairs to exterior water or sewer lines that connect the home to the municipal system.

SLWA and its parent company HomeServe have an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. More than 500 other cities and utilities have similar partnerships with SLWA and HomeServe to provide affordable service plans so their residents are not hit with unexpected repair costs.

We are extremely proud of the service that we provide and the relationship we have with our customers and partners. Readers who have questions about SLWA, our partnerships, or the satisfaction of our customers are urged to visit our website at www. slwofa.com or call us at 1-866-922-9006.