Water Service Line Protection Plans

Water Service Line Protection Plans are popular.with water utilities and their customers!

One of the most successful programs developed by New England Water Utility Services (NEWUS) for the Connecticut Water Service utilities is our Linebacker® service line protection plan. Since our program's inception in March 2000, more than 21,000 customers have enrolled. That's over 35 percent of our residential customer base.

More and more utilities throughout Connecticut and the country are offering a water service line protection plan to their customers. Advantages to water utilities include:

• Increases customer awareness of their responsibility for service line maintenance and repair.
• Provides for prompt and proper repair of leaking customer-owned service lines.
• Eliminates disagreements with customers over who is responsible for leak repairs.
• Meets the growing customer demand for water service line protection plans.
• Provides a new revenue stream to help fund utility needs.

Similarly, more and more customers are requesting the option of enrolling in a water service line protection plan. Advantages to customers include:

• Pays for a water service line leak repair or replacement (which could cost $2,000 or more) for a very low-cost annual fee.
• Provides for leak repairs not normally covered under homeowner's insurance policies.
• Eliminates the hassle of finding a reliable contractor and scheduling a leak repair job.
• Furnishes a prompt, guaranteed one-call service for leak repairs.
• Provides peace of mind in knowing that a leak or failure of the water service line is fully protected bya trusted water utility.

NEWUS understands that the relationship between the water utility and its customers is of paramount importance in providing a service line protection line. Our approach to marketing Linebacker is to use it as a value-added service that creates a positive customer experience and enhances the image of the utility. For these reasons, NEWUS markets its Linebacker program in accordance with the highest ethical standards. We do not exaggerate the likelihood of a service line leak or otherwise mislead or scare customers in hopes of increasing enrollments.

NEWUS has gained considerable experience in developing, administering and marketing service line protection programs. We have proven marketing materials and a recognizable and easily remembered program name.

Although we tailor our program to meet any specific needs or concerns of our utility clients, we offer two basic service line protection programs, as the basis for building your own program:

1. Client-Managed Linebacker® Protection Program. We can provide start-up consulting to facilitate the set up of a Linebacker program to be managed by your utility, including:
   • Assistance in defining your program, i.e. what is included or excluded from coverage.
   • Use of our Trademark "Linebacker" name
   • Design of marketing materials and marketing campaigns
   • Assistance in the set up of your record keeping, billing/accounting and repair tracking systems
   • Provision of updated marketing materials
     This option provides you with a greater control over your Linebacker program and potentially higher revenues, but necessitates a commitment of labor, resources and up-front funding by your utility
2. NEWUS-Managed Linebacker® Protection Program. In certain areas, we can provide you a complete service line protection program package, without the need for any labor or up-front funding by your utility. Yet you can still tailor many of the program features to meet your individual needs, such as:
   • Define your program coverage (what will be included or excluded from coverage).
   • Use of local repair contractors that have been approved by your utility.
   • Provision of a letter of introduction to the program from your utility's President or Superintendent.
   • Set the pricing level for your customers to yield the program revenues you desire.

This option provides you with a complete Linebacker program, fully administered by NEWUS, without any up-front costs or labor commitment of your staff. Under this option, we would provide you with an annual payment for each of your customers enrolled in the program.

For more information - or to request a proposal for your water utility - call Chris Bogucki at 1-800-428-3985 ext. 3057 or email at cbogucki@ctwater.com.