© 2024 Public Radio Tulsa
800 South Tucker Drive
Tulsa, OK 74104
(918) 631-2577

A listener-supported service of The University of Tulsa
classical 88.7 | public radio 89.5
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

City, INCOG Strike Deal With Company for Warranty Protection on Water and Sewer Lines

The City of Tulsa and INCOG partner with a company to offer warranty protection on water and sewer lines.

Buying the insurance from Service Line Warranties of America is voluntary and covers normal wear and tear. Councilor Jack Henderson said he looked into it after several constituents called to say the same thing.

"'My water line broke and it's on my side and not the city's side, and the city turned my water off and told me that I've got to get it fixed'," Henderson said. "It could cost anywhere from two, three, four thousand dollars. Most of the people I represent don't have that kind of money."

Councilor David Patrick said the program would cost $7 a month for sewer and $5 for water, or residents can pay annual fees of $79 and $55.

There are concerns about propriety of the deal, however.

There’s a 50-cent cut per line in it for the city. Service Line Warranties of America will get to use the city logo on its solicitations for the program. Mayor’s chief of staff Jared Brechja said Tulsans will get letters in the mail soon.

"It will be introducing the program to citizens, and that will include the city logo. And that will be — any material they send out that's promotional will be in the form of a letter," Brechja said. "And they have a fall campaign, typically, and a spring campaign. Other than that, you won't see any coordination."

City officials say the mailings will not resemble a utility bill and touted the company’s Better Business Bureau rating.

Matt Trotter joined KWGS as a reporter in 2013. Before coming to Public Radio Tulsa, he was the investigative producer at KJRH. His freelance work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and on MSNBC and CNN.