Two Las Vegas homeowners reached out to us in the last two weeks saying a water district-promoted warranty program failed to cover their expensive water line repairs.
Antonio Gambardella has been living without water for about two weeks after a pipe break flooded his front lawn. Despite paying $48 annually for coverage through American Water Resources (AWR), a company partnered with the Las Vegas Valley Water District to offer a discounted rate, he says his claim was denied.
WATCH | Geneva Zoltek speaks to homeowners who claim warranty program failed to cover pipe repairs
"So far they don't protect me. They mislead me," Gambardella said.
Gambardella tells us, according to the contracted plumber, the warranty company wouldn't cover his water line leak because of the polybeam pipe — AKA polybutylene plumbing — which was commonly used homes built through the 1990s, but is excluded from coverage under AWR's policy fine print.
"I need help. For my budget, it's a lot. I'm on Social Security," Gambardella said.
Todd Rogers faced a similar situation recently when his water bill jumped to $129, two to three times his normal amount. When he checked his meter, it was running fast, indicating a leak somewhere in his water line.
Rogers called AWR, but he says he hit multiple roadblocks to getting the problem fixed quickly, and eventually he was left to foot the bill. He tells us the process took about two weeks.
"The whole thing has just been a nightmare. You just think 'I sign up for it, it's gonna take care of it' and it didn't," Rogers said.
Rogers explained AWR said over the phone that his leak would not receive coverage due to a technicality about the location of the break.
"It [AWR's policy] appears to say that they cover anything that's between the valve at the street and the valve, the shut off to the house. So the leak is somewhere between there, but because of the technicality that it's not, you know, it's in this house or close to the slab, we won't cover repairing that," Rogers said, telling us their explanation.
According to the American Water Resources policy, the company will pay to repair a broken or leaking water line if the leak or break resulted from normal wear and usage.
American Water Resources responded to Channel 13's media inquiry saying that they have contacted both customers to explore resolutions.
In a statement, a spokesperson wrote via email:
"At American Water Resources we are committed to providing Las Vegas homeowners an exceptionally affordable solution to protect against unexpected and costly water line repairs. This program has been highly successful since its launch in January 2025. We have reached out to these customers to discuss their situations. Our goal is to ensure our customers' satisfaction and we appreciate the opportunity to achieve that in these instances."
The Las Vegas Valley Water District offers a separate leak reimbursement program that provides up to $2,000 per event if the leak is repaired and a paid invoice is provided, regardless of whether a warranty claim is covered.
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