A Yonkers homeowner is breathing a sigh of relief after learning he will not have to foot the $18,000 bill to fix a collapsed sewer pipe on his property.

Henry Ramirez says he was shocked at the amount it would cost to do the repairs. Ramirez says he was even more surprised to learn that the costs were covered by American Water Resources.

"I jumped for joy," says Ramirez. "It was very heartwarming to know that they were going to cover it."

The city of Yonkers launched a service line protection program two years ago to save residents from having to pay for sewer and water repairs. City officials say the program has saved residents $1.5 million since it started.

"The more that we get the word out, then the more Yonkers residents will take advantage of this and potentially even give us the ability to lower the rates even further," says Mayor Mike Spano.

It currently costs about $17 a month for unlimited service to ensure the coverage of potentially devastating repair costs.

The contract between Yonkers and American Water Resources will run until 2022.