Bonds & Insurance

Luann Longtin Bonds and Insurance Compliance Specialist 301-206-8294 insurancecertificate@wsscwater.com

Bid Bond Certified Release of Liens Labor and Material Payment Maintenance Bond Performance Bond  Bonds & Insurance FAQs Terms & Conditions

Bonds and insurance can be complicated at times, so be sure to use this webpage as a resource.

We are ready to answer any questions or inquiries you may have.  You may contact us in several ways – by telephone, email, or in person.    This office is here to assist you. If you cannot find something on our site, please let us know. 

The Bonds & Insurance Office (“Office”) requires bonds and insurance from contractors and suppliers to assure us that there is financial funding to meet legal responsibilities and pay for damages or injuries arising from their activities.  Many firms 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 (Certificate of Insurance) that those with whom we work are meeting their statutory responsibility to protect their employees with Workers Compensation insurance.  

The Office responsibilities include:

• analyzing and determining appropriate insurance coverage,

• and limits for contractual transfer of risks in all contracts and leases

• reviewing bonds and insurance certificates submitted by all prime contractors, consultants, and anyone supplying goods and services to the Commission, to ensure compliance with Commission, State, and Federal Regulations and General Specifications. 

Surety Bonds

A surety bond, although 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 (WSSC).  We require surety bonds for a variety of construction and permit jobs. 

Certificates of Insurance

We tailor the types of insurance and limits required to the activity and the loss potential and 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 # or permit # indicated on the certificate and endorsement.  You may review the insurance requirements in the General Conditions and an example of contract specific insurance requirements (in the solicitation Special Requirements section) located in Appendix B by clicking on the links.