New Sanitary Sewer Service Warranty Program for Madison Homeowners

The City of Madison is introducing a new, optional program to homeowners that provides low-cost protection for private sanitary sewer service lines. The program is provided through the National League of Cities (NLC) and is administered by Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA). Homeowners are responsible for the maintenance and repair of their private sanitary sewer service line, which extends from within the home to the point where it connects to the public sanitary sewer main. Sanitary sewer service repairs can be expensive and are typically not covered by homeowners' insurance. While reliable sanitary sewer service is essential to the health of Madison's citizens and the environment, homeowners are often unprepared to deal with the anticipated cost of such a repair. For a relatively small monthly fee the SLWA Sewer Line Warranty Program provides enrolled homeowners coverage for their private sanitary sewer line from the point of entry in the home, including lines underneath concrete slab foundations, to the point of connection to the public sanitary sewer main. Program participants call SLWA's 24-hour hotline for sewer blockage and back-ups. A local, qualified plumbing professional will be dispatched by SWLA and contact the homeowner within one hour. Coverage includes service repair or replacement for leaks, breaks and clogs, including tree roots from the sewer line, in order to restore service on the covered portion of the line that has been impeded due to normal wear and tear. Also covered as part of the process is the removal of the blockage, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) inspection, permits, repair, restoration to public sidewalk or public pavement and basic site restoration, including backfill, raking and reseeding. The program provides up to $10,000 coverage per incident to ensure that a homeowner's underground sanitary sewer line is free flowing and functional. There are no service fees or deductibles. SLWA's standard pricing for this program will be $7.00 per month or $79 per year. During their initial campaign to introduce this program to Madison residents SLWA will be offering coverage for $6.25 per month or $70 per year. Service Line Warranties of America was selected to administer this warranty program through a competitive Request for Proposal process, which was reviewed by a City staff team including professional engineers and operations staff. The program is offered at no cost to the City of Madison and no public funds are used to promote the program. Information about this optional program will soon be mailed to Madison residents. Homeowners can enroll by contacting SLWA at 866-922-9006, online at www.slwofa.com or returning the business reply card they receive in the mail. Citizens can also visit the City's website, www.cityofmadison.com/engineering, or contact City of Madison Engineering at (608) 266-4430 to learn more.

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