It Could Happen: Sewer Backup

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Sewer backups can result in thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to your home’s flooring, walls, furniture, and electrical system. A Water Damage endorsement provides limited coverage for the resulting loss.

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Even if you treat your drainage and plumbing system with the utmost care, sewer backups can still occur.  And, as with any kind of flooding, sewer backups can result in thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to your home’s flooring, walls, furniture, and electrical system. 

According to the Insurance Information Institute, the following factors could contribute to a sewer backup:

• Aging Sewer Systems:  according to a report published by the Society of Civil Engineers, the nation’s 500,000-plus miles of sewer lines are, on average, more than thirty year’s old. 
• Combined Pipelines:  during heavy rainfalls, those storm water and raw sewage lines that are combined into the same pipeline could experience more volume than they can handle, resulting in damage or a break.
• Blockages Due to Tree Roots:  Tree and shrub roots will seek water as they grow, and can often cause further damage to lines that have preexisting cracks or leaks.
• Sanitary Main Blockage:  if a blockage occurs in your city’s sanitary main and is not detected in time, the sewage can back up into your home.

While many of these situations are out of your control, you can protect your home and future finances from the devastation of sewer backups by adding a Water Damage endorsement to your existing homeowner’s policy, which will provide limited coverage for the resulting water damage.  Furthermore, you can also discuss the perimeters of your coverage with your independent agent, who can address how the policy specifically applies to your individual situation. 

At Preferred, we believe the best way to live assured is to be prepared for the unexpected.