American Water Expands Service Line Protection Programs To Homeowners In Three States

American Water Works Company, Inc., the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company, announced recently that its American Water Resources subsidiary is expanding the number of states in which its Water Line and Sewer Line Protection Programs will be available to homeowners in Maine, Minnesota and Oklahoma.

Offered through American Water Resources, LLC, the Water Line and Sewer Line Protection Programs provide homeowners with protection from the costs associated withleaks and breaks in water lines, as well as clogs or blockages in sewerlines running through their property. These repairs are not typically covered by homeowners’ insurance or by their water or sewer service provider.

“Until a homeowner experiences a service line problem, many are unaware that they are responsible for the maintenance of the water and sewer lines that service their home.Since repairs to these pipes are not covered by most homeowners’ insurance policies, the job of finding, hiring, and paying someone to fix a service line problem falls solely on the homeowner.  As of 2010, 45 percent of all pipes are in poor shape according to the National Association of Water Companies and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Similarly, homeowners’ pipes can experience leaks and breaks or clogs and blockages due to age, tree roots and shifting soil resulting from weather and climate changes. So we are pleased to be able to educate homeowners about service line responsibility and to offer programs that help protect them from the potentially high cost of these repairs,” said Malcolm Conner, President ofAmerican Water Resources.

The protection programs provide homeowners with peace of mind from the unexpected repair costs associated with leaks and breaks in water lines, as well as clogs or blockages in sewer lines running through their property. The Water Line Protection Program covers up to $5,000 inservice line repairs and up to an additional $5,000 for street repairs, and the Sewer Line Protection Programcovers up to $4,000 for sewer line repairs plus up to $4,000 for street repairs, where necessary.

“Another benefit of enrollment in these programs is that homeowners don’t need to go through the hassle of finding a qualified, trustworthy contractor to make what can be an emergency repair,” said Conner. “American Water Resources establishes and maintains a network of local, insured independent plumbing contractors.  Our customers can be assured of receiving expedient and effective service.”

Residents in the communities where this service will be offered will receive information in the mail beginning in January.

As part of its expansion, the company is currently reviewing and selecting additional local, qualified plumbing contractors. For more information, visit AWRUSA.com.

About American Water Resources
American Water Resources (AWR) is a provider of Water Line Protection, Sewer Line Protection and In-Home Plumbing Emergency Programs to homeowners in 35 states and Washington, DC, and currently services over one million contracts. AWR has been providing protection programs for more than 13 years, earning both a 93% Customer Service Quality Rating and an A+ Rating from the Better Business Bureau. AWR is the official service line protection provider for the New York City Water Board, making its programs available to more than 670,000 homeowners in the City's five boroughs. AWR is a subsidiary of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE: AWK), the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company in operation since 1886. For more information, visit www.AWRUSA.com.

About American Water
Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company.  With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs approximately 6,700 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 14 million people in more than 30 states and parts of Canada. For more information, visit www.amwater.com.