A municipal authority, like a township or borough, is statutorily protected from liablilty under the Pennsylvania Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act.This concept is know as sovereign immunity.

Because most water breaks are unforeseeable events, this means that the Richland Authority (and its insurance carrier) is, in most instances, not responsible to reimburse you for damages caused by a break in its water lines.

Most homeowner or renter insurance policies do not cover damages caused by water line breaks but some companies offer riders to provide this coverage. Contact your insurance agent to review your current homeowner or renter policy and discuss the availability of additional coverage.