Sewer Maintenance Department
Curb & Sidewalk
Program | Alley Paving
Program
Sewer Insurance Program
The Engineering Department provides technical assistance to the Sewer Maintenance Department for the maintenance of the City sewer system. This assistance includes updating all sanitary and storm sewer record drawings and administrative assistance to the Sewer Lateral Insurance Program that began in 1986.
The $0.50 monthly fee for sewer insurance (included on the homeowner’s Mishawaka Utilities bill), protects the single-family residential homeowner from paying catastrophic sewer repair costs. The homeowner is responsible for paying a deductible of the first $250 of the sewer lateral repair and is responsible for all routine cleaning costs. The Sewer Insurance Fund pays all costs in excess of $250, which are determined to be directly attributable to the repair of a private sewer lateral connection between the foundation wall of the home and the City's trunk sewer main. The fund also covers all costs associated with the removal and replacement of public streets, curbs and sidewalks as a result of the repair.
In 2005, the Sewer Insurance Program responded to 49 complaints from residents experiencing sewer problems. As a result of these investigations, it was determined that 25 of these problems were the homeowner's responsibility and could be resolved by a service cleaning the sewer line. The remaining 24 required repairs under the Sewer Insurance Program. In 2005, the average cost for the repair of each of sewer lateral was $3,206.11; the total amount spent on repairs was $76,946.66. Through management of this repair fund, the balance of the Sewer Insurance Repair Fund was $32,265.96 at the end of 2005.
In addition to repair of failed sanitary sewer laterals, sewer insurance funds are used to replace all existing sewer laterals located on major sewer main replacement projects. This replacement minimizes the need to repair a sewer lateral in a newly reconstructed street.
E-Mail
the Engineering Department
for more information on
this program.
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