Yes – they can! It’s a common misconception that water and sewer lines will last forever. Buried many feet beneath the ground’s surface, the lines are out of sight and out of mind for most people – until there’s a problem. Every day, more than 850 water lines break in North America alone – with higher numbers in the winter months when temperatures drop quickly and freeze the lines.

Many homeowners are unaware that they – and not the city or water utility – are actually responsible  for the portion of the line that generally runs from the public connection to the point of entry into the home.*

Communities are starting to address aging public infrastructure concerns through government assistance and programs, but homeowners are faced with the same issues and left with few options. Through the Service Line Warranty Program, your community leaders are giving homeowners an option to protect their aging private infrastructure when in need of repair from a variety of causes such as:

Root Intrusion

Trees can be dangerous for water and sewer lines as the roots permeate small cracks in the lines in their search for moisture or heat. Roots invading a sewer line can cause clogs, resulting in sewage seeping into the yard.

Ground Shifting

As the ground composition changes from rain, snow and periods of drought, the ground can shift, prompting cracks, misalignment or even a collapse. Areas prone to earthquakes are especially vulnerable to ground shifting.

Weather

Extreme fluctuations in temperature, drought and heavy rain or snow can drastically affect the life expectancy of your water and sewer lines causing corrosion, accelerated soil erosion and cracks. A slight change of only 10 degrees in air or water temperature can stress the line so when an area experiences drastic drops into the single or negative digits, the likelihood of a problem increases.

The reality is that water and sewer lines can and will break. When they do, it causes a lot of problems for homeowners, who will need to find a reputable plumber, obtain quotes, shut off water or sewer service until the problem is repaired and can disrupt daily activities.  With Service Line Warranties of America’s Water and Sewer Line Warranty Program, one call will do it all.

* Homeowner responsibility varies from city to city.