Residential Water Service Line Repair Survey

The City of Helena seeks community input as staff explore options to help alleviate the financial burden for residential property owners in the event of a water service line break. Please note: This survey is intended to gauge community interest. No decisions have been made regarding this matter.

Background

Currently, Helena property owners are responsible for the repair of water and sewer service lines to their buildings if they break, including the pipes, valves, landscaping, curb, gutter, sidewalk, and street repair. The cost of these repairs can be substantial, varying based on factors like landscaping, sidewalks, distance to the main line, and street repaving. While some homeowner's insurance policies offer coverage, many property owners are not covered and not financially prepared for this expense. Property owners are also responsible for securing contractors and permits for the repair. See our Service Line Failure Guide for additional details.

In 2018, the City of Helena introduced a fee on utility bills to establish a zero-interest loan program aimed at assisting homeowners with these unexpected costs. This fee was later discontinued once the program achieved adequate funding. This program is available to qualified property owners who experience a service line failure and whose properties are attached to the City of Helena utility system.

Option for Consideration

Under consideration is an alternative approach where the City would cover the cost and performance of repairs on the portion of the service line within public right-of-way (from the water main to the private property boundary). Under this model, the property owner would still be responsible for repairs from the property line to their structure, but the repair costs would be minimized.

To facilitate this option, the City would need to increase the water utility rate by 2.5% over the current rate. For example, a $100 water utility bill would be $102.50. The rate increase would establish a fund that is solely used for residential water service line repairs.

It is important to note that this option would only cover water service line repairs and would not cover sewer service line repairs.

Please take our brief, three-question survey below to share your feedback on how the City approaches water service line repairs.