Bonds and Insurance

Bonds and insurance can be complicated, so all contractors and suppliers need to be aware of this information.

The Bonds & Insurance Office requires bonds and insurance from contractors and suppliers to assure us that there is financial funding to meet legal responsibilities, and to pay for damages or injuries that might occur. Many businesses do not have the assets or legal resources and are not large enough to self-insure legal liability claims and must rely on traditional insurance coverage to manage claims and litigation that arise from their operations. For example, we need proof that those with whom we work meet their statutory responsibility to protect their employees with Workers Compensation insurance.

The responsibilities of the Bonds & Insurance Office include:

• Determine appropriate insurance coverage and limits for contractual transfer of risks in all contracts and leases
• Review bonding and certificates of insurance supplied to WSSC Water, to ensure compliance with Commission, State, and Federal Regulations and General Specifications
• Confirm compliance of certificates of insurance for licensed master plumbers, master gasfitters, and sewer & drain cleaners doing business in the WSSC Water district.

Surety Bonds

A surety bond, although it is issued by an insurance company, is not insurance because it provides no contractual transfer of risk from the contractor to the bonding company. Instead, a Surety Bond is a financial guarantee of a potential contractor obligation to a third party (in this case, WSSC Water). We require surety bonds for a variety of construction and permit jobs.

Certificates of Insurance

We tailor the required insurance and limits to the activity and the loss potential, not the value of the contract. We review the insurance certificate to match the limits with our requirements, and if they do not compare, a new certificate needs to be issued. Most certificates of insurance are informational only, and if the policy does not contain a blanket provision for an additional insured or waiver of subrogation, endorsements are required along with the contract number or permit number indicated on the certificate and endorsement. You may review the insurance requirements for a specific solicitation in the Appendix B – Insurance and Bonding section of the solicitation; click to view a sample Appendix B.

WSSC Water Licensed Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Sewer & Drain Cleaners

WSSC Water's Plumbing & Fuel Gas Code requires a Master Plumber, Master Gasfitter, or a Sewer & Drain Cleaner who registers as representing a plumbing, gasfitting, or sewer & drain cleaning services company to carry a minimum level of general liability coverage (see Code Section 113.8.1.3). For a first-time registration to represent a firm, the certificate of insurance is to be submitted with the application for license or change of license to the Regulatory Services Division, Licensing office. When updating WSSC Water when your policy renews, certificates of insurance will be submitted directly to the Bonds and Insurance office; for your convenience the certification can be emailed as an attachment to insurancecertificate@wsscwater.com

Contact Us

If you have any questions please contact:
Tina Roland, Bonds and Insurance Office
Tina.Roland@wsscwater.com
301-206-8349 (office)

Bond and Insurance Forms

• Bid Bond
• Certified Partial Release of Liens
• Certified Release of Liens
• Labor and Material Payment Bond
• One Year Maintenance Bond
• SCP One Year Maintenance Bond
• Two Year Maintenance Bond
• Performance Bond
• SEP Performance and Maintenance Bond (System Extension Permits only)
• Permits Insurance and Bonding Requirements
• Plumber and Fuel Gas Requirements