Service Lines

Maintenance Responsibilities

In the City of Altoona, homeowners are responsible for maintaining their water, sanitary, and storm sewer services from the house all the way to the City-owned main. Mains are almost always located in the City Right-of-Way. This means the private service lines extend beyond the homeowner’s property line. Sometimes, the service line may extend under or across the road.

Water Service Line Ownership Graphic

Service Line Insurance

Repairs to a service line that extends under or across a road can become quite expensive. Depending on where the repair is needed, it may require removing portions of the street and sidewalk. It is recommended that you talk to your homeowners insurance company to discuss adding service line coverage to your policy. This insurance would cover the expenses of repairing or replacing your service lines. Be sure discuss with your insurance provider which utility services would be covered by the policy as well as whether the policy covers damages extending beyond the property line.