Council Member Hanifa Shabazz Moves Financial Assistance Program for Property Owners from Idea to Reality
The 4th District representative learned of a warranty program for water and sewer lines at a National League of Cities meeting and brought the idea to Wilmington; City Council approved the program Thursday night
As Wilmington property owners may know or should know, there are sections of their property’s water and sewer lines extending from the curb toward their property that are their responsibility should a line break or need repair. The City is only responsible for those portions of lines that extend from the curb out to the main City water or sewer connection. And, as these property owners may know, or may come to realize, fixing the lines that are their responsibility can be fairly expensive.
Thanks to Wilmington City Council Member Hanifa Shabazz, residential property owners will soon be able to purchase warranty coverage to manage the unexpected cost of repairs. Shabazz said she learned about the warranty program after attending a National League of Cities meeting in Washington DC and that the coverage was being offered in communities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Georgia.
“Water and sewer lines can break unexpectedly and repairs can be in the thousands of dollars,” said Shabazz. “I am happy as a legislator to be able to take an idea from planning to reality. I would like to especially thank Public Works Commissioner Jeff Starkey for supporting this concept and seeing the wisdom of offering the program like I did. The warranty coverage is completely voluntary so citizens can determine if this is something they need or want.”
On Thursday night, Wilmington City Council approved a contract between the City and American Water Resources (AWR) which allows AWR to sell water and sewer line warranty coverage directly to residential property owners in Wilmington. The warranty means that AWR, with the concurrence of the City’s Public Works Department, will repair the line promptly once a determination is made by the company about needed repairs. According to the Public Works Department, the approximate cost to property owners for the warranty coverage is $100 a year.
Under the terms of the five-year agreement between the City and AWR, the company will pay the City an initial $50,000 administrative fee and will also pay the City 10% of the annual warranty fees it collects from residential property owners. AWR will also pay the City $20,000 each year which the City may access to assist residential water and sewer line owners who are not AWR warranty customers.
For more information about this news release, contact:
John Rago
Communications and Policy Development Director
Wilmington City Council
Phone: (302) 576-2149
Mobile: (302) 420-7928
Email: jrago@WilmingtonDE.gov