MEXICO — The Mexico Water District Board of Trustees met recently to discuss the origins of a mysterious letter water customers have received over the past few months claiming they need to purchase insurance for their lines.

Office administrator Anne Young said Monday that “around 15 residents have come into the office over the last couple of months claiming that they received a letter asking them to purchase insurance on their private waterlines.”

“It seems that 15 random people who reside in Mexico received the letter,” Young said. “They were all concerned, because they didn’t know if this was something that the Mexico Water District condoned, and if it was something they should be doing.”

The Water District serves 954 customers in town.

The letter was drafted in a generic manner, Young said, beginning with the phrase, “Dear Mexico resident,” followed by a brief statement about how the homeowner should purchase insurance for their waterline

“The letter is asking people to purchase insurance on the section of waterline that falls on their own private property, not the portion within highway limits,” Young said.

Young said that the Board of Trustees met on Oct. 15 to discuss the issue.

“After some discussion, the board wished to let residents know that the letter is not affiliated in any way with the Mexico Water District,” she said. “It appears that a company is sending letters to random residents in Mexico, and even a few in Dixfield, and trying to get them to purchase insurance.”

Young added that the Board of Trustees does not have an opinion on whether residents should purchase the insurance.

“They all agreed that because the water district is not responsible for the letter, they can’t say one way or the other whether residents should buy insurance on their private waterlines,” Young said. “Their chair, Byron Ouellette, said that in the last five years, there have only been four reports of waterline breaks.

“The odds of anything happening to the waterlines are very low,” Young said. “The board just wanted to make sure to let residents know that if they receive the letter, it’s not something required by the Mexico Water District. It’s just a company doing some advertising.”

Ouellette was not available for comment Tuesday evening.

mdaigle@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link