Water Line Protection Letter Raises Questions

The city of Alpharetta says it has nothing to do with a letter soliciting customers about water line protection.

This week, homeowners in the Alpharetta area began contacting asking about a letter that they received from American Water Resources. The letter notes as its subject “Alpharetta homeowner water service line responsibility” and includes a reference to a section of the Alpharetta City Code.

“While the letter references the Code of the City of Alpharetta, the City has nothing to do with this company and certainly does not endorse it or its products,” said Alpharetta Assistant City Administrator James Drinkard.

American Water Resources sent the letter to solicit customers for its water line protection program.  Drinkard said according to the mailing, the program is a homeowner assurance program that covers up to $5,000 of costs associated with repairing a broken water line between the curb and the home.

The city acknowledges that homeowners are responsible for the water lines that extend from the water meter to their home, but Drinkard said that Alpharetta does not have a position on whether homeowners should get insurance for their water and sewer lines.

“As a rule, water and sewer lines have a life expectancy of 50 years or more, but individual circumstances of every property can affect this, said Drinkard.  “Homeowners should consult their homeowner's insurance policy and any other home warranty they may have to determine if water and sewer line repairs are already covered.”

Alpharetta officials would not comment as to the legitimacy of American Water Resources or the product that is the subject of the solicitation.

“Our only concern at this point is that the letter may mislead citizens into believing that the product is endorsed by the city of Alpharetta,” Drinkard said.