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City to provide relief for homes flooded by utility line breaks November 9, 2017, 12:18 pmAfter a pressurized irrigation line broke in May, flooding five homes, city leaders received requests for assistance from the homeowners. At that time, officials were unsure what to do since the city had no policy in place to cover such a situation. "There is a need for this type of policy to be established in Cedar Hills as we experience a utility line failure periodically," the new policy says. The new program would cover breaks in city culinary water, sanitary sewer or storm sewer facilities, regardless of fault. The coverage is only valid if the event is the result of a failure of city facilities, and not an act of God or any other similar cause or event not reasonably within the city's control. If the property cannot be restored to its previous condition, the city will pay the property owner the estimated fair market or cash value of the property (carpet and major appliances will be replaced with new like-kind items) up to that $5,000. If a catastrophic event occurs, that $25,000 per incident would be prorated against all losses unless the city council approved additional funding. The program establishes criteria and owners responsibilities that must be met in order to receive assistance. Affected homeowners must file a written application within 30 days of the event. If it is found that the loss is partially covered by private insurance or the homeowner did not act responsibly to prevent or minimize the loss or cannot fully document the loss, the city may limit its assistance. The policy states, "Any assistance or payment made under this Policy shall not be construed as, and does not imply, an admission of negligence or responsibility on the part of the city for any damage or loss. Any assistance or payment made under this Policy is strictly voluntary on the part of the city." A fund would be established in the next fiscal year budget to cover these types of events. Under the new policy, the city will also produce and distribute informational brochures for on sewer backups, insurance and prevention to residents. Education is key in residents being prepared for this situation, said Mayor Gary Gygi. Many residents may think they have adequate insurance but do not realize that most standard policies do not cover damage from exterior water, he said. The community news source for Eagle Mountain Utah, Saratoga Springs Utah, Lehi Utah, American Fork Utah, Highland Utah, Alpine Utah, and The Cedar Valley, including Cedar Fort Utah and Fairfield Utah. Copyright 2024 The Crossroads Journal LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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