Staff
Local residents soon will be able to get a warranty covering their sewer and water services.
At its regular meeting Monday night, town council endorsed the “Service Line & In-Home Plumbing Repair” program through Local Authority Services (LAS) in partnership with Service Line Warranties of Canada (SLWC).
The warranty program is the newest service being provided by LAS, which offers competitively-priced and sustainable co-operative services for Ontario municipalities.
The Town of Fort Frances, for example, already utilizes its co-operative natural gas purchasing services.
This is how the warranty program works:
•property owners pay a monthly premium;
•SLWC has a listing of local contractors that have been pre-approved who they will dispatch upon notification from an enrolled property owner, usually within 24 hours; and
•there is no limit to the number of claims or repairs that can be completed on a line under the warranty program.
“The Town of Fort Frances has countless residents currently being serviced by old, deteriorated sewer and water services whereby repair costs and responsibility are borne by the property owner,” Operations and Facilities manager Travis Rob told council.
“This is a low-cost opportunity for these residents to receive warranty coverage through a reputable firm at a reasonable cost,” he explained.
Rob noted the program currently is endorsed by 26 municipalities in Ontario, including Atikokan, and more than 400 municipalities across North America.
To date, no claim in Ontario has been denied.
An authorizing bylaw will be prepared for council to pass at its next meeting.
Once council enters into an agreement with SLWC, residents will receive a mass mailing informing them more about the program.
SLWC also will begin to engage local plumbing contractors to complete repairs.
Find out more about LAS, and the sewer and water line warranty coverage, by visiting las.on.ca
