Understanding overland water & sewer backup coverage

It’s no secret that climate change is leading to more frequent and more severe weather events, many of which result in water damage to Canadians’ homes and belongings.

Most standard home insurance policies cover sudden and accidental water damage caused by things like a burst pipe or a popped waterbed, but damage caused by water that enters your home from other sources such as a heavy rainfall, a sewer backup, or a sump pump failure is likely not automatically covered.

That’s why Economical has combined overland water and sewer backup coverage as an optional policy add-on, so homeowners like you can extend your protection far beyond what’s included in a basic home insurance policy.

Your standard home insurance policy normally includes coverage for:

Damage caused by sudden or accidental water escape from household sources like burst interior water pipes, hot water tanks, waterbeds, aquariums, swimming pools, and hot tubs.

Overland water and sewer backup coverage protects your property from:

Damage caused by sudden accumulation of ground water or surface water, such as excessive rain, overflowing rivers, spring run-off, or melting snow. (Note: This excludes damage caused by saltwater, including tidal waves and tsunamis.)

Damage to your property caused by the rupture or escape of water from a sewer, drain, sump pump, or septic system.

Damage caused by the escape of water resulting from a collapse, rupture, leak, or break in your service line. Your service line is the exterior water line, for which you are liable, that connects to your home from public water supplies, private wells, retention ponds, or cisterns, including pipes that drain water away from your home or any other structure.

If you have questions about the water coverage or limits included in your existing home insurance policy, or if you’d like to find out if you qualify for overland water and sewer backup coverage, contact your licensed broker today.