Marshalltown residents have exceeded $1 million in savings from repair costs thanks to the city adopting the Service Line Warranties of America program.

The program was brought to Marshalltown in 2011 thanks to research by Steve Simons who was the city’s sewer superintendent at the time. It offers residents the option of purchasing coverage for repairs to water and sewer lines with no deductible. If a service line is damaged, SLWA will cover up to $8,500 in repair costs which includes everything from plumbing to concrete removal.

SLWA is a home repair service based in Pennsylvania. It offers services in about 100 cities in Iowa.

Troy McGahuey, sewer superintendent, said the program has offered a lot of relief, especially with many residents struggling with home repairs in the last three years.

“It’s been hard on people financially. This one gives them a little more peace of mind,” he said.

Since the program has been available in Marshalltown, 1,900 homeowners have signed up for at least one service plan. Under those plans there have been 1,485 jobs done.

One of the most common reasons water and sewer lines are in need of fixes include roots growing into them. Many old systems were built with orangeburg pipe which was commonly used since the 1860s through the 1970s. Over time these pipes began to decay and are more easily crushed by roots. PVC pipes have become the standard for newer lines and are more difficult for roots to penetrate.

“Tree roots find sewer lines because they are a great source for water,” McGahuey said. “They can sense the water flowing through them.”

The joints in the older pipes can also come apart which is not uncommon either. Repair crews may even be able to estimate the source of a leak by measuring out pipe lengths to find the joints before digging.

The north side of town is more susceptible to having pipes invaded by roots because of older infrastructure, McGahuey said.

“The southern side of town has more newer PVC pipes with rubber-gasketed joints that don’t come apart as easily,” he added.

Repairs don’t always require extensive digging or creating a trench. Trenching can be dangerous, especially around water pipes, because the soil is susceptible to collapsing in. Collapsing trenches kill about two workers every month. Even a partially-buried person is at risk because the pressure of the dirt cuts off circulation.

A variety of advances in technology, even in the last 10 years, have made trenching avoidable in some cases.

“In the past after we’ve received calls about a blockage to go clear it, we have inspection equipment to run up the pipe and see what the problem is,” McGahuey said. “If root intrusion is the problem we have equipment that can go through and cut it out. Then we put it on a rotation every two or three years, depending on how fast it’s growing in.”

The department has been using a seamless liner as another easier fix which can avoid replacing some pipes.

“It’s less intrusive than open trench excavating,” McGahuey said. “We just need two entry points. It’s like an inverted sock. We basically cook it with compressed air and it has an epoxy that grips the host pipe. We cut the ends off and go through it with a robotic arm. It’s 10 times safer. You don’t have to worry about it rupturing.”

The SLWA isn’t limited to repairs. It can also be used for basic plumbing services like clogged pipes within the home.

McGahuey clarified the city does not pay anything for this service to be available to its residents.

“There is no money exchanged between the city and SLWA. They basically ask us to promote their business and in doing so we researched their company and made sure they are offering a legitimate service,” he said. “It’s really caught on. I believe they are trying to expand into potable water services.”

Steve Bieranowski, account manager with SLWA, notified the city about surpassing $1 million in savings on repair costs.

“The program at Marshalltown has been one of our longest running in Iowa,” he said.

SERVICE LINE WARRANTIES OF AMERICA

For more information about the Service Line Warranties of America program visit https://www.marshalltown-ia.gov/700/Service-Line-Warranties-of-America.

Contact Joe Fisher at jfisher@timesrepublican.com.