City: Water Insurance Mailings are Not from Newport Water Division

The city’s water division is advising Newport residents that they are not connected to a recent mail solicitation from American Water Resources of Rhode Island.

The mailer, which offers insurance for water service lines, was mailed to Newport Water District customers and has nothing to do with the water department, city officials said in an alert posted on Facebook.

“The Newport Water Division recommends to our customers that if they are interested in the offered insurance policy, as with any purchase, to fully research American Water Resources of Rhode Island and the details of the solicitation,” the alert stated.

Though a homeowner can be held responsible for repairs made to water lines that connect a house to the main street line, unless the line is very long, the repair usually costs a few thousand dollars at most.

In fact, most residents will never need to make repairs to the line and buying insurance is typically considered a waste of money.

Some home insurance policies cover water lines, as well.

Similar mailed solicitations have sparked complaints to the Better Business Bureau, especially since they deceptively mimic official mailings from municipalities and water districts.

Don’t be fooled - the mailings are from private companies hoping to cash in. And ask yourself -- would you trust a company that uses deceptive mailings in the event you ever had to file a claim?